Wollemi under siege: Evidence of a Phytophthora cinnamomi incursion is worrying guardians of Australia's 'dinosaur plant', the Wollemi pine

摘要

Although widespread in the eastern states, the soil- and water-borne pathogen was previously unknown in the isolated pocket of the Wollemi National Park northwest of Sydney in which the stand of fewer than 100 wild pines grows. National parks staff detected Phytophthora cinnamomi in the soil and in one tree during routine monitoring by rangers late last year. Preliminary testing by the Botanic Gardens Trust in October confirmed the presence of the fungus-like disease, which causes root rot and eventual plant death in susceptible species.