APPRESSORIA OF BRAZILIAN ISOLATES OF COLLETOTRICHUM-GLOEOSPORIOIDES (PENZ) SACC CAUSAL AGENT OF ANTHRACNOSES DISEASES

Morphological and functional aspects of appressoria of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides from different sources and localities in the Northeast ern Brazil were studied. From leaves of avocado (Persea gratissima L.) , cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.), citrus (Citrus sp.), guava (Psid ium guajava L.), Anona muricata L., and mango (Mangifera indica L.) sh owing typical anthracnose symptoms twelve isolates were selected. From each isolate, fifteen monoconidial cultures were made, and the microc ulture technique was used for studies of appressorial morphology. All isolates produced appressoria, but variation in size, amount, and shap e were observed among isolates. The same isolate showed unlobed or sli ghtly lobed appressoria, which varied in color from dark to light brow n, occasionally one septate showing a germ pore in each cell. In some cases, appressoria germinated and formed secondary appressoria in chai n or isolated. Sometimes they formed germtube that produced conidia in phialidic way. These results suggest that appressoria play an importa nt role in the nature, not only in the direct penetration of a host, b ut also in the ability to propagate species by production of conidia.