Common Names of Plant Diseases

Diseases of Foliage Plants
(House Plants)

A. R. Chase, primary collator (last update 3/26/93)

ACANTHACEAE (Aphelandra squarrosa Nees, A [zebra plant] and Fittonia verschaffeltii (Lem.) Coem., F [nerve plant])

BACTERIAL DISEASE

Bacterial leaf spot

Xanthomonas campestris (Pammel) Dowson

FUNGAL DISEASES

Corynespora leaf spot

Corynespora cassiicola (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) C.T. Wei : A

Gray mold : Botrytis cinerea Pers.: Fr.

A

(teleomorph: Botryotinia fuckeliana (de Bary) Whetzel)

Myrothecium leaf spot

Myrothecium roridum Tode:Fr. : A

Phytophthora stem rot

Phytophthora nicotianae Breda de Haan var. parasitica
    (Dastur) G.M. Waterhouse : A

= P. parasitica Dastur

Rhizoctonia stem rot

Rhizoctonia solani Kühn : A,F

(teleomorph: Thanatephorus cucumeris (A.B. Frank) Donk)

Southern blight : Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc.

A,F

(teleomorph: Athelia rolfsii (Curzi) Tu & Kimbrough)

Stem gall : Nectriella pironii Alfieri & Samuel

A

(anamorph: Kutilakesa pironii Alfieri)

VIRUS DISEASES

Mosaic : Cucumber mosaic virus

A

Mottle : Bidens mottle virus

F

Spotted wilt : Tomato spotted wilt virus

A AGAVACEAE (Cordyline sp., C [Ti plant]; Dracaena spp., D; D. sanderana Hort. Sander ex M.T. Mast., Ds [Belgian Evergreen]; Sansevieria spp., S [mother-in-law-tongue]; Yucca spp., Y [soft tip yucca, Spanish-Bayonet] )

BACTERIAL DISEASES

Bacterial leaf spot

Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora (Jones) Bergey et al. : D,Ds

E. chrysanthemi Burkholder et al. : D,Ds

E. herbicola (Lohnis) Dye : Ds

Pseudomonas sp. : Ds

Erwinia blight

Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora (Jones) Bergey et al.
    : C,D,S

E. chrysanthemi Burkholder et al. : C,D,S

FUNGAL DISEASES

Anthracnose

Glomerella cingulata (Stoneman) Spauld, & Schrenk : C,D

(anamorph: Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz. &
    Sacc. in Penz)

Brown leaf spot

Paraphaeosphaeria obtusispora (Speg.) Hedjaroude : Y

= Leptosphaeria obtusispora Speg

(anamorph: Coniothyrium henriquesii Thuem.)

Cercospora leaf spot : Cercospora sp.

C

Fusarium leaf spot : Fusarium moniliforme J. Sheldon

D

(teleomorph: Gibberella fujikuroi (Sawada) Ito in Ito & Kimura)

Gray leaf spot : Cytosporina sp.

Y

Gray mold : Botrytis cinerea Pers.: Fr.

D,Ds,Sa

Phyllosticta leaf spot : Phyllosticta spp.

C,Ds

P. draconis Berk

Phytophthora stem rot

Phytophthora nicotiana Breda de Haan var. parasitica
    (Dastur) G.M. Waterhouse : C,D

= P. parasitica Dastur

Red leaf spot

Fusarium moniliforme J. Sheldon : S

Southern blight : Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc.

all

Stem rot : Aspergillus niger Tiegh.

Ds,S

NEMATODES, PARASITIC

Lesion : Pratylenchus spp.

C,D

Root-knot

Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid & White) Chitwood : S ARACEAE (Aglaonema spp., Ag [Chinese evergreen and others]; Anthurium spp., An; Caladium spp., C; Dieffenbachia spp., D [dumb cane]; Epipremnum aureum (Linden & Andre) Bunt., E [pothos]; Monstera spp., M; Philodendron spp., P: P. scandens C. Koch & H. Sello subsp. oxycardium (Schott) Bunt., Ps [heart-leaf philodendron]; Spathiphyllum spp., Sp; Syngonium spp., Sy [= Nephthytis spp.] )

BACTERIAL DISEASES

Bacterial leaf spots

Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora (Jones) Bergey et al :
    Ag,An,C,D,E,P,Sy

E. chrysanthemi Burkholder et al. : Ag,D,E, P,Sy

Pseudomonas cichorii (Swingle) Stapp : Ag,An, D,M,P, Sy

Xanthomonas campestris pv. dieffenbachiae (McCulloch &
    Pirone) Dye : Ag,An, C,D,P,Sy

Red-edge

Xanthomonas campestris pv. dieffenbachiae (McCulloch & Pirone) Dye : Ps

Soft rot

Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora (Jones) Bergey et al. : all

FUNGAL DISEASES

Anthracnose : Colletotrichum spp.

Ag,An, D,P,M,S

Black cane rot (Ceratocystis blight)

Ceratocystis fimbriata Ellis & Halst. : Sy

(anamorph: Chalara sp.)

Brown leaf spot

Leptosphaeria spp. : D

Cephalosporium leaf spot

Acremonium crotocinigenum (Schol-Schwarz) W. Gams :
    D,Sy

= Cephalosporium crotocinigenum Schol-Schwarz

Colletotrichum spadix blight

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz. & Sacc. in Penz : An

Cylindrocladium petiole & root rot

Cylindrocladium spathiphylli Schoulties et al. : Sp

Dactylaria leaf spot

Dactylaria humicola G.C. Bhatt & Kendrick : P

Fusarium corm rot : Fusarium solani (H. Mart.) Sacc.

C

(teleomorph: Nectria haematococca Berk. & Broome)

Fusarium stem rot : Fusarium solani (H. Mart.) Sacc.

Ag,D

Gray mold

Botrytis cinerea Pers.: Fr. P

Myrothecium leaf spot : Myrothecium roridum Tode:Fr.

Ag,D,P,Sp,Sy

Phytophthora leaf spot : Phytophthora spp.

D,P,Sp

Pythium root rot : Pythium spp.

all

Rhizoctonia aerial blight : Rhizoctonia solani Kühn

all

Southern blight : Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc.

all

NEMATODES, PARASITIC

Burrowing

Radopholus similis (Cobb) Thorne : An,P,Sy

Foliar : Aphelenchoides spp.

An

Lesion : Pratylenchus spp.

C,D

Root-knot : Meloidogyne spp.

C,E,P

VIRUS DISEASES

Araceae cucumber mosaic : Cucumber mosaic virus

D,P

Araceae dasheen mosaic : Dasheen mosaic virus

Ag,An,C,D,P,Sp ARALIACEAE (Brassaia actinophylla Endl., B [umbrella tree]; Dizygotheca spp., D [false Aralia]; Fatshedera lizei (Cochet) Guillaum, Fl; Fatsia japonica (Thunb.) Decne. & Planch., Fj; Hedera helix L., H [English ivy]; Polyscias spp., P [Aralia]; Schefflera arboricola Hayata ex. Kanchira, S [dwarf schefflera])

Alternaria leaf spot

Alternaria panax Whetzel in Whetzel & Rosenb. : B,D,Fl, P,S

Anthracnose : Colletotrichum trichellum (Fr.:Fr.) M.M. Duke

H

Bacterial leaf spots

Erwinia chrysanthemi Burkholder et al. : B,S

Pseudomonas cichorii (Swingle) Stapp : B,Fl, Fj,P,S

Xanthomonas campestris pv. hederae (Arnaud) Dye :
    B,Fl,Fj,H,P,S

Cercospora leaf spot

Cercospora spp. : B,S

Damping-off : Pythium spp.

B,Fj,S

Gray mold : Botrytis cinerea Pers.: Fr.

H

Phyllosticta leaf spot : Phyllosticta concentrica Sacc.

H

(teleomorph: Discochora philoprina Berk. & M.A. Curtis) Bissett)

Phytophthora leaf spot

Phytophthora palmivora (E.J. Butler) E.J. Butler : H

P. nicotianae Breda de Haan var. parasitica (Dastur)
    G.M. Waterhouse : B

= P. parasitica Dastur

Phytophthora root rot

Phytophthora spp. : H

Pythium root rot : Pythium spp.

B

Rhizoctonia aerial blight and stem rot

Rhizoctonia solani Kühn : all

Root-knot (nematodes) : Meloidogyne spp.

B

Southern blight : Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc.

all ARAUCARIACEAE (Araucaria heterophylla (Salisb) Franco, A [Norfolk Island Pine])

Bleeding canker : Dothiorella spp.

A

Lasiodiplodia theobromae (Pat.) Griffon & Maubl. : A

= Botryodiplodia theobromae Pat.

Cylindrocladium root rot : Cylindrocladium spp.

A

Needle blight

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz. & Sacc. in Penz. : A

= C. derridis Van Hoof

Pythium root rot

Pythium spp. : A

ASCLEPIADACEAE (Hoya carnosa (L.F.) R. Br., H [wax plant])

Cercospora leaf spot : Cercospora spp.

H

Gray mold : Botrytis cinerea Pers.: Fr.

H

Rhizoctonia aerial blight : Rhizoctonia solani Kühn

H

BIGNONIACEAE (Radermachera sinica (Hance) Hemsl., R [China doll])

Corynespora leaf spot

Corynespora cassiicola (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) C.T. Wei : R

Myrothecium leaf spot : Myrothecium roridum Tode:Fr.

R

Phytophthora stem rot

Phytophthora nicotianae Breda de Haan var. parasitica
    (Dastur) G.M. Waterhouse : R

= P. parasitica Dastur

Rhizoctonia stem and root rot : Rhizoctonia solani Kühn

R BROMELIACEAE (Aechmea fasciata (Lindl.) Bak., A [urn plant];

Cryptanthus, C [bromeliad])

Anthracnose : Colletotrichum spp.

C

Bacterial leaf spot

Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora (Jones) Bergey et al. : A

Helminthosporium leaf spot

Setosphaeria rostrata K.J. Leonard : A

(anamorph: Exserohilum rostratum (Drechs.) K.J. Leonard
    & E.G. Suggs)

= Helminthosporium rostratum Drechs.

Rhizoctonia leaf spot : Rhizoctonia solani Kühn

A CACTACEAE (Cereus spp. C; Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri (Regel) Moron, R [Easter cactus]; Schlumbergera truncata (Haw.) Moran [Thanksgiving cactus] and S. bridgesii (Lem.) Lofgr. [Christmas cactus], S; and many others)

Cactus cyst nematode

Cactodera cacti (Filipjev & Schuurmans- Stekhoven) Krall &
    Krall : Many cacti

= Heterodera cacti Filipjev & Schuurmans-Stekhoven

Cactus virus X : Cactus virus X

Many cacti

Colletotrichum stem rot

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz. & Sacc. in Penz : Many cacti

Fusarium stem rot : Fusarium oxysporum Schlechtend:Fr.

R,S

Helminthosporium stem rot, shattering

Bipolaris cactivora (Petr.) Alcorn : C,R,S

= Helminthosporium cactivorum Petr.

Soft rot

Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora (Jones) Bergey et al. : C,R,S COMMELINACEAE (Rhoeo spathacea (Swartz) Stearn, R [oyster plant]: Siderasis fuscata (Lodd.) H.E. Moore, S; Tradescantia spp., T [Spiderworts (wandering jew and others)]; Zebrina pendula Schnizl., Z [wandering jew])

Mosaic : Tobacco mosaic virus

R

Tomato mosaic virus : R,T

(Tradescantia mosaic)

Tradescantia mosaic virus : T,Z

Pythium root rot : Pythium spp.

R

Root-knot (nematode) (also called leaf gall)

Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid & White) Chitwood : S

Tan leaf spot : Curvularia eragrostidis (Henn.) J.A. Meyer

R,T

(teleomorph: Cochliobolus eragrostidis (Tsuda & Ueyama) Sivanesan) EUPHORBIACEAE (Codiaeum variegatum (L.) Blume, C [croton])

Anthracnose

Glomerella cingulata (Stoneman) Spauld. & H. Schrenk : C

Bacterial leaf spot : Xanthomonas campestris (Pammel) Dowson

C

Crown gall

Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Smith & Townsend) Conn : C

Lesion nematode

Pratylenchus coffea (Zimmerman) Filipjev & Schuurmans-Stekhoven : C

Stem gall and canker

Nectriella pironii Alfieri & Samuels : C

(anamorph: Kutilakesa pironii Alfieri) GENTIANACEAE (Exacum affine Balf., E [Arabian violet]

Botrytis blight : Botrytis cinerea Pers: Fr.

E

Stem rot and wilt : Fusarium solani (H. Mart.) Sacc.

E

Spotted wilt : Tomato spotted wilt virus

E

GESNERIACEAE (Aeschynanthus pulcher (Blume) G. Don., A [lipstick vine]; Saintpaulia ionantha H. Wendl., Sa [African violet]; Sinningia spp., Si [gloxinia]

BACTERIAL DISEASES

Bacterial leaf spot : Pseudomonas spp.

Si

Erwinia blight : Erwinia chrysanthemi Burkholder et al.

Sa

FUNGAL DISEASES

Corynespora leaf spot

Corynespora cassiicola (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) C.T. Wei : A,Sa

Gray mold : Botrytis cinerea Pers.: Fr.

A,Sa,Si

Myrothecium leaf spot : Myrothecium roridum Tode:Fr.

A,Si

Phytophthora stem rot

Phytophthora nicotianae Breda de Haan var. parasitica (Dastur) G.M. Waterhouse : A,Sa,Si

= P. parasitica Dastur

Powdery mildew

Oidium spp. : Sa

VIRUS DISEASES

Mosaic : Tobacco mosaic virus

Si

Ringspot : Dahlia ringspot virus

Si

Tomato ringspot virus : Si

Spotted wilt

Tomato spotted wilt virus : Sa,Si

NEMATODES, PARASITIC :

Foliar

Aphelenchoides spp.

Sa,Si MARANTACEAE (Calathea spp., C; Maranta leuconeura E. Morr., M [prayer plant]

BACTERIAL DISEASES

Pseudomonas leaf spot

Pseudomonas sp. : C

P. cichorii (Swingle) Stapp : C

FUNGAL DISEASES

Alternaria leaf spot

Alternaria alternata (Fr.:Fr.) Keissl. : C

Fusarium root rot : Fusarium oxysporum Schlechtend.:Fr.

C

Helminthosporium leaf spot

Bipolaris setariae (Sawada) Shoemaker : C,M

(teleomorph: Cochliobolus setariae (Ito & Kuribayashi)
    Drechs. ex Dastur)

NEMATODES, PARASITIC

Burrowing : Radopholus similis (Cobb) Thorne

C,M

Root-knot : Meloidogyne javanica (Treub) Chitwood

M

VIRUS DISEASES

Mosaic : Cucumber mosaic virus

C,M

MORACEAE (Ficus benjamina L., Fb [weeping fig]; F. elastica Roxb. ex Hornem,, Fe [rubber tree]; F. lyrata, Fl [fiddle-leaf fig]

Anthracnose

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz. & Sacc. in Penz. : Fe,Fl

Bacterial leaf spot : Pseudomonas cichorii (Swingle) Stapp

Fb,Fe,Fl

Xanthomonas campestris (Pammel) Dowson

Cercospora leaf spot : Cercospora spp.

Fe

Corynespora leaf spot

Corynespora cassiicola (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) C.T. Wei : Fb

Crown gall

Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Smith and Townsend) Conn : Fb,Fe

Foliar nematode : Aphelenchoides besseyi Christie

Fe

Gray mold : Botrytis cinerea Pers.: Fr.

Fe,Fl

Phomopsis dieback : Diplodia spp.

Fb

Diplodia spp. : Fb

Lesion nematodes

Pratylenchus spp. : Fb,Fe

Southern blight : Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc.

Fb,Fe,Fl

Verticillium wilt

Verticillium albo-atrum Reinke & Berthier : Fb PALMAE (Caryota mitis Lear., C [fishtail palm]; Chamaedorea spp., Ch [parlor palm, Florida hybrid palm], Chrysalidocarpus lutescens H. Wendl., Ca [Areca palm]; Howea forsterana, H [Kentia palm]; Rhapis excelsa (Thunb.) A. Henry, R [lady finger palm])

Bacterial leaf blight : Pseudomonas avenea Manns

C

Brown leaf spot : Pseudocercospora rhapisicola Tominaga

R

= Cercospora rhapisicola Tominaga

Burrowing nematode : Radopholus similis (Cobb) Thorne

Ch

Cylindrocladium leaf spot : Cylindrocladium spp.

H

C. crotalariae (C.A. Loos) D.K. Bell & Sobers : H

(teleomorph: Calonectria crotalariae (C.A. Loos) D.K. Bell
    & Sobers)

C. theae (Petch) Subramanian : H

(teleomorph: Calonectria theae C.A. Loos)

Damping-off

Fusarium spp. : C,Ca, Ch,H,R

Pythium spp. : C,Ca, Ch,H,R

Gliocladium stem rot : Gliocladium vermoeseni (Biourge) Thom.

Ca,Ch

Helminthosporium leaf spot

Bipolaris setariae (Sawada)Shoemaker : H,R

= Helminthosporium setariae Sawada

Exserohilum rostratum (Drechs.) K.J Leonard & E.G. Suggs
    : C,Ca,Ch,H,R

= H. rostratum Drechs.

Leaf spot

Phaeotrichoconis crotalariae (M.A. Salam & P.N. Rao) Subramanian : Ca

Lethal yellows : Mycoplasma-like organism (MLO)

C

Phytophthora stem rot and blight : Phytophthora spp.

Ch

Lesion nematodes : Pratylenchus spp.

Ch PIPERACEAE (Peperomia spp., P [radiator plant; baby rubber tree, emerald ripple peperomia and others])

Anthracnose : Colletotrichum spp.

P

Cercospora leaf spot : Cercospora spp.

P

Mosaic : Cucumber mosiac virus

P

Myrothecium leaf spot : Myrothecium roridum Tode:Fr.

P

Phyllosticta leaf spot : Phyllosticta spp.

P

Phytophthora stem and root rot

Phytophthora nicotianae Breda de Haan var. parasitica
    (Dastur) G.M. Waterhouse :P

= P. parasitica Dastur

Pythium root rot

Pythium splendens Braun : P

Rhizoctonia leaf spot : Rhizoctonia solani Kühn

P

Ring spot : Unidentified virus

P

Southern blight : Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc.

P

Verticillium wilt

Verticillium albo-atrum Reinke & Berthier : P POLYPODIACEAE (Asplenium nidus L., A [bird's nest fern]; Davallia spp., D [rabbit foot fern, etc.]; Nephrolepis exaltata (L.) Schott, N [ Boston fern]; Platycerium spp., Pl [staghorn fern]; Pteris spp., Pt [table fern])

Bacterial blight

Pseudomonas cichorii (Swingle) Stapp : A,Pl

P. asplenii (Ark and Tompkins) Savulescu : A,Pl

P. gladioli Severini : A,D,Pl, Pt

Gray mold : Botrytis cinerea Pers.: Fr.

D,N,Pt

Foliar nematode

Aphelenchoides fragariae (Ritsema-Bos) Christie : A,N

Rhizoctonia aerial blight : Rhizoctonia solani Kühn

D,N,Pl, Pt

Lesion nematode : Pratylenchus spp.

N URTICACEAE (Pellionia spp., Pe; Pilea spp., Pi [aluminum plant and others])

Anthracnose

Colletotrichum capsici (Syd.) E.J. Butler & Bisby : Pi

Bacterial leaf spot : Xanthomonas campestris (Pammel) Dowson

Pe,Pi

Myrothecium leaf spot : Myrothecium roridum Tode:Fr.

Pe,Pi

Phytophthora blight

Phytophthora nicotianae Breda de Haan var. parasitica
    (Dastur) G.M. Waterhouse : Pi

= P. parasitica Dastur

Southern blight

Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. : Pe,Pi VITACEAE (Cissus striata Ruiz & Pav. and C. rhombifolia Vahl, Cr [grape ivy];C. antartica Venten., Ca [kangaroo vine])

Anthracnose : Colletotrichum spp.

Ca,Cr

Glomerella cingulata (Ston.) Spauld. & H. Shrenk

Downy mildew : Plasmopara spp.

Ca,Cr

Gray mold : Botrytis cinerea Pers.: Fr.

Ca,Cr

Powdery mildew : Oidium spp.

Cr

Rhizoctonia aerial blight : Rhizoctonia solani Kühn

Ca,Cr