Alternaria alternata

Taxobox
name = "Alternaria alternata"


regnum = Fungi
phylum = Ascomycota
classis = Dothideomycetes
subclassis = Pleosporomycetidae
ordo = Pleosporales
familia = Pleosporaceae
genus = "Alternaria"
species = "A. alternata"
binomial = "Alternaria alternata"
binomial_authority = (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 causing leaf spot and other diseases on 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

* [http://www.speciesfungorum.org/Names/Names.asp Index Fungorum]
* [http://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases USDA ARS Fungal Database]
* [http://www.niaes.affrc.go.jp/inventry/microorg/eng/z45e-Alt-alt.html Japanese Fungi on Plants: "Alternaria alternata"]
* [http://www.mycology.adelaide.edu.au/gallery/photos/alternaria02.html Mycology Online: "Alternaria alternata"]
* [http://pick5.pick.uga.edu/mp/20q?search=Alternaria%20alternata&btxt=microscope&burl=htpp://microscope.mbl.edu "Alternaria alternata"]
* [http://intramar.ugent.be/nemys/fungi/species.asp?t=201 "Alternaria alternata"]

References