Verticillium is a
genusIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
of fungi in the division
AscomycotaThe Ascomycota are a Division/Phylum of the kingdom Fungi, and subkingdom Dikarya. Its members are commonly known as the Sac Fungi. They are the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 64,000 species...
. Within the genus, diverse groups are formed comprising saprotrophs and parasites of higher plants, insects, nematodes, mollusc eggs and other fungi thus it can be seen that the genus is a wide ranging group of taxa characterised by simple but ill-defined characters. The genus may be broadly divided into three ecologically based groups 1) mycopathogens 2) entomopathogens (Zare and Gams, 2001) and 3) plant pathogens and related saprotrophs (Barbara and Clewes, 2003).
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Verticillium is a
genusIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
of fungi in the division
AscomycotaThe Ascomycota are a Division/Phylum of the kingdom Fungi, and subkingdom Dikarya. Its members are commonly known as the Sac Fungi. They are the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 64,000 species...
. Within the genus, diverse groups are formed comprising saprotrophs and parasites of higher plants, insects, nematodes, mollusc eggs and other fungi thus it can be seen that the genus is a wide ranging group of taxa characterised by simple but ill-defined characters. The genus may be broadly divided into three ecologically based groups 1) mycopathogens 2) entomopathogens (Zare and Gams, 2001) and 3) plant pathogens and related saprotrophs (Barbara and Clewes, 2003). However, recently the genus has undergone some revision into which most entomopathogenic and mycopathogenic isolates fall into a new group called
Lecanicillium. Plant pathogenic isolates still retain the original genus name
Verticillium.
The better known species of
Verticillium are,
V. dahliae and
V. albo-atrum that cause a
wiltWilting refers to the loss of rigidity of non-woody parts of plants. This occurs when the turgor pressure in non-lignified plant cells falls towards zero, as a result of diminished water in the cells...
disease called
Verticillium wiltVerticillium Wilt is a wilt disease of over 300 species of eudicot plants caused by one of two species of Verticillium fungus, V. dahliae and V. albo-atrum. Many economically important plants are susceptible including cotton, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, peppers and ornamentals, as well as others...
in more than 300 eudicot plant species.
Selected species
- Verticillium dahliae
Verticillium dahliae is a fungal plant pathogen. It causes verticillium wilt in many plant species, causing leaves to curl and discolor. It may cause death in some plants.- External links :* *...
Kleb.
- Lecanicillium lecanii (approved name). Other names: Previously known as Cephalosporium lecanii Zimmermann and Verticillium lecanii (Zimmerman) Viegas. (R. Zare & W. Gams Nova Hedwigia 71: 329-337, 2001). This fungus species was first described in 1861. It has a worldwide distribution found on insects. In horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation. Some would say that horticulture is the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant...
and agricultureAgriculture is the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and...
it is sometimes used as an entomopathogen (infects insects) for controlling insect pests like mealybugMealybug is the common name of insects in Pseudococcidae, a family of unarmored scale insects found in moist, warm climates. They are considered pests as they feed on plant juices of greenhouse plants, house plants and subtropical trees....
s and miteMites, along with ticks, belong to the subclass Acarina and the class Arachnida. Mites are among the most diverse and successful of all the invertebrate groups. They have exploited an incredible array of habitats, and because of their small size most go totally unnoticed...
s and aphidAphids, also known as plant lice , are small plant-eating insects, and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Aphids are among the most destructive insect pests on cultivated plants in temperate regions...
s. It's a bio-pesticide/Bio-Insecticide that is sprayed on insects while they are feeding off of desirable plants. The insects are infected when they come into contact with the sticky fungal spores which then grow and invade the body, thus pathogenesized, the insects' internal organs are consumed, leading to the insects' death.
- Verticillium albo-atrum Reinke & Berthold - Causes Verticillium Wilt or Maple Wilt. First identified from potatoes in Germany in 1870. This species attacks over 300 different cultivated plants and can persist as a saprotrophic soil organism for more than 15 years. When infecting ornamental trees like Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as Maple. Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification, favour inclusion in Sapindaceae...
s, ElmElm leaves are alternate, with simple, single- or, most commonly, doubly-serrate margins, usually asymmetric at the base and acuminate at the apex. The genus is hermaphroditic, having perfect flowers which, being wind-pollinated, are apetalous. The fruit is a round wind-dispersed samara...
s, AspenAspen is a common name for trees of the Salicaceae family, most of those in a section, Populus sect. Populus, of the Populus genus. Some of the species in the section are:...
, Ash-Products of fire, incineration or combustion:* The solid remains of a fire* Incinerator bottom ash, a form of ash produced in incineration facilities* Volcanic ash, material ejected from the top of a volcano...
, BeechBeech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.The leaves of beech trees are entire or sparsely toothed, from 5–15 cm long and 4–10 cm broad...
, CatalpaCatalpa, also spelled Catawba, is a genus of flowering plants in the trumpet vine family, Bignoniaceae, native to warm temperate regions of North America, the Caribbean, and east Asia....
, OakAn oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 400 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
plus many more the first symptoms are midsummer wilting on one side of a tree or branch. The sapwood has greenish or brownish streaks, and the infection can take a few years to progress to the rest of the tree or move rapidly. The fungi universally move up the xylemIn vascular plants, xylem is one of the two types of transport tissue, phloem being the other. The word "xylem" is derived from classical Greek ξυλον , "wood", and indeed the best-known xylem tissue is wood, though it is found throughout the plant...
vessels. In fruit trees the infection is known as 'Black Heart' and is common in apricots and sometimes affects almond, peach, plum and avocado trees. This fungus also affects herbaceousA herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
ornamentals and vegetables like Chrysanthemum, mints, Lychnis, tomatoes, eggplants, okra, and rhubarb, causing wilting and death. Identification can be made by looking for one-celled conidia, hyalineThe term hyaline literally refers to a substance with a glass-like appearance.In common medical histopathological usage, hyaline is a substance with a glassy, pink appearance after haematoxylin and eosin staining—most often an acellular, proteinaceous material...
round to ellipsoid which are formed at the tips of whorlWhorl is a type of spiral pattern.Other meanings of whorl include:* Whorl , a single, complete 360° turn in the spiral growth of a mollusc shell...
ed branches. They are easily separated from the tips.