Root and collar rot of milkwort caused by Cylindrocladium pauciramosum, a new record for Europe

A new disease of milkwort (Polygala myrtifolia) was observed on several com mercial nurseries in southern Italy. Diseased plants showed wilting, stunti ng, chlorosis or loss of foliage, and rotting of the basal stem as well as the crown and roots. A Cylindrocladium species was consistently found assoc iated with crown, basal stem, and root lesions. The etiology of this diseas e was proved on milkwort, by fulfilling Koch's postulates. Two hundred Cyli ndrocladium isolates were collected from the most important Sicilian and Ca labrian ornamental production areas from different host plants. Isolates we re identified as Cylindrocladium pauciramosum (teleomorph Calonectria pauci ramosa) on the basis of their obpyriform to broadly ellipsoidal terminal ve sicles, conidiophore branching pattern, conidium morphology, as well as mat ing type studies with tester strains of C. pauciramosum for selected isolat es. This is the first record of this pathogen from Europe and it is the fir st report of C. pauciramosum on milkwort.