Alternaria alternata

Alternaria alternata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Fungi Phylum: Ascomycota Class: Dothideomycetes Subclass: Pleosporomycetidae Order: Pleosporales Family: Pleosporaceae Genus: Alternaria Species: A. alternata
Binomial name
Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissl. (1912)
Synonyms
Alternaria fasciculata (Cooke & Ellis) L.R. Jones & Grout (1897) Alternaria rugosa McAlpine (1896) Alternaria tenuis Nees (1817) Macrosporium fasciculatum Cooke & Ellis (1817) Torula alternata Fr. (1832)

Alternaria alternata has been recorded infecting over 380 host species. It is opportunistic pathogen on numerous hosts causing leaf spots, rots and blights on many plant parts. It also causes upper respiratory tract infections in AIDS patients and asthma in people with sensitivity.

Identification

Teleomorph

Unknown

Anamorph

Conidiophore

• Pale brown to olive brown
• 25-60 x 3-3.5 µm
• Straight or flexuous
• Individual conidiophores arise directly from substrate forming bushy heads consisting of 4-8 large catenate conidia chains
• Secondary conidiophores are generally short and 1-celled

Conidia

• Pale brown to light brown
• Obclavate to obpyriform orellipsoid, short conical beak at the tip, or beakless
• Surface smooth to verruculose
• Size
  • 20-63 x 9-18 µm in size
  • (on PCA) mature conidia typically 10-30 x 5-12 µm
• Septa
  • Several vertical and -8 transverse septa
  • (on PCA) 3-7 transepta, 1-5 longisepta
• Chains
  • Produced in an often branched, long chain more than 5 conidia.
  • (on PCA) individual chains of 5-15 conidia, complex of branching chains may contain up to 50-60 conidia

External links

Index Fungorum
USDA ARS Fungal Database
Japanese Fungi on Plants: Alternaria alternata
Mycology Online: Alternaria alternata
Alternaria alternata
Alternaria alternata