Not a systematic work in the strict sense, but one with which those
concerned with Colletotrichum taxonomy should be aware because of its
scale and contribution to our understanding of the extent of host
specificity amongst C. gloeosporioides isolates. 217 isolates obtained
from yams and some other hosts conforming to the morphospecies
C. gloeosporioides were tested for virulence against a set of
Dioscorea alata cultivars. This enabled a remarkable 18 pathotypes to
be distinguished, most causing moderate symptoms or not being virulent
to yams. Of especial taxonomic interest is that isolates from many
hosts other than yams were able to attack yams and were not just able
to grow on the hosts from which they were isolated. Such hosts clearly
have the potential to act as reservoirs of anthracnose-causing
inoculum. The identity of the strains as C. gloeosporioides and their
distinction from other members the genus was confirmed by ITS
sequences. Vegetative incompatibility tests using mutant strains
corroborated the conclusion that the same species occurred on yams and
weed hosts. However, isolates from different cultured colony
morphotypes were not compatible, and in some cases more than one
vegetative compatibility group was represented in a single leaf
lesion. In addition, a microsatellite approach was used to study
population structure; most variation was within population, and no
geographical correlation was discovered. A partially purified but
unidentified phytotoxin was also extracted from disease-causing
isolates. The Guignardia cingulata teleomorph occurs in the country
and its ascospores are considered as the likely agents for its
long-distance dispersal. A most commendable piece of work
Mycotaxon vol. LXXXVII, July-September 2003