Re-examination of Peltaster fructicola, a member of the apple sooty blotch complex

Abstract

Peltaster fructicola is one of several fungi that causes sooty blotch on apple. Johnson et al (1996, 1997) correctly described P. fructicola but illustrated two different fungi. One is P. fructicola and the other is an unidentified ascomycete. In this paper, P. fructicola is more completely described and accurately illustrated.

• fruit diseases
• plant pathology

We thank D. Chapman, A. Jones, D. Rosenberger, M. Ellis, K. Hickey, K. Yoder, P. McManus, J. Hartman, W. Schaffer and D. Cooley for supplying disease specimens for our studies. We also thank J. Harrison for collection of specimens, C. Brownie for assistance with statistical analysis and L. Grand for review of the manuscript.