First report of Phytophthora tentaculata affecting Santolina in the UK

摘要

Santolina chamaecyparissus, also known as cotton lavender, is a dwarf Mediterranean shrub often grown for its aromatic foliage and as a dwarf hedging plant. In 2013, S. chamaecyparissus plants were sent to the Royal Horticultural Society from a garden in Derbyshire with decayed roots and lesions at the base of the stems. To isolate the pathogen, 1-2 mm pieces of necrotic tissue from the lesion leading edge were placed on Phytophthora selective media (SMA; amended as per Brasier et al., 2005) and incubated at 20°C for three days. In addition, pieces of necrotic stem tissue were placed into apple (cv. Granny Smith) baits and incubated in the dark at 20°C for up to one week. As soon as lesions formed on the apples the lesions were placed onto SMA plates for isolation. Hyphal tips were transferred onto carrot agar (CA) in order to obtain pure cultures.