''Lophodermium'' is a genus of fungi within the family

Rhytismataceae The Rhytismataceae are a family of fungi in the Rhytismatales order. It contains 55 genera and 728 species. Genera According to the 2007 Outline of Ascomycota, the following genera are in the Rhytismataceae. The placement of the genus ''Nymanom ...

. The genus contains 145 species and has a global distribution. Species of this genus are usually observed producing zone lines, conidiomata and ascomata on dead fallen leaves, but at least some are known to colonize living leaves. In many cases they then live inside the colonized leaf as a symptomless endobiont, where they are regarded as

detritivore Detritivores (also known as detrivores, detritophages, detritus feeders, or detritus eaters) are heterotrophs that obtain nutrients by consuming detritus (decomposing plant and animal parts as well as feces). There are many kinds of invertebrates, ...

s utilising dead plant matter. In a few cases they may kill all or part of the leaf prematurely, and there is a substantial literature dealing with those species as

plant pathogen Plant pathology (also phytopathology) is the scientific study of diseases in plants caused by pathogens (infectious organisms) and environmental conditions (physiological factors). Organisms that cause infectious disease include fungi, oomyc ...

s.Phillips, D. H., & Burdekin, D. A. (1992). ''Diseases of Forest and Ornamental Trees'', ed. 2. Macmillan The genus infects many different plant families but with a notable concentration in the family Pinaceae; many ''Lophodermium'' species are restricted to a single host genus (or even speciesCheng-Lin Hou, Li Li, & Meike Piepenbring (2009) ''Lophodermium pini-mugonis'' sp. nov. on needles of ''Pinus mugo'' from the Alps based on morphological and molecular data
''Mycol. Progress'' 8: 29–33.
/ref>), but some, particularly those infecting grasses, may infect several genera.Minter, D. W. ''Fungi of Ukraine'', Rhytismatales
''Lophodermium''
. CAB International.Pacific Northwest Fungi Database
''Lophodermium''
Some are economically important plant pathogens, such as those that cause needlecast disease in European Black Pine, Scots Pine and Red Pine in forestry and

christmas tree A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, or an artificial tree of similar appearance, associated with the celebration of Christmas. The custom was further developed in early modern ...

plantations. In these species, notably ''L. pinastri'' and ''L. seditiosum'', the fungal

spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...

s disperse and infect the pine needles in late summer, which turn brown by the following spring and then fall off.

Partial list of species

A selection of species is listed below with their principal hosts: *'' Lophodermium abietis''. Host: ''

Picea A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' (), a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal (taiga) regions of the Earth. ''Picea'' is the sole genus in the subfami ...

'' (often included in ''L. piceae'') *'' Lophodermium apiculatum''. Host:

Poaceae Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...

*'' Lophodermium arundinaceum''. Host: Poaceae *''

Lophodermium aucupariae ''Lophodermium aucupariae'' is a plant pathogen. References External links Index FungorumUSDA ARS Fungal Database Fungal plant pathogens and diseases Leotiomycetes {{fungus-plant-disease-stub ...

''. Host: '' Sorbus'' *'' Lophodermium australe''. Host: '' Pinus'' *''

Lophodermium autumnale ''Lophodermium'' is a genus of fungi within the family Rhytismataceae. The genus contains 145 species and has a global distribution. Species of this genus are usually observed producing zone lines, conidiomata and ascomata on dead fallen leaves ...

''. Host: '' Abies'' *''

Lophodermium baculiferum ''Lophodermium'' is a genus of fungi within the family Rhytismataceae. The genus contains 145 species and has a global distribution. Species of this genus are usually observed producing zone lines, conidiomata and ascomata on dead fallen leaves ...

''. Host: ''Pinus'' *''

Lophodermium caricinum ''Lophodermium caricinum'' is a species of fungus in the family Rhytismataceae. It is a decomposer known to live on dead tissues of ''Carex capillaris'', '' Carex machlowiana'', ''Eriophorum angustifolium ''Eriophorum angustifolium'', common ...

''. Host: '' Carex'' *''

Lophodermium chamaecyparissi ''Lophodermium'' is a genus of fungi within the family Rhytismataceae. The genus contains 145 species and has a global distribution. Species of this genus are usually observed producing zone lines, conidiomata and ascomata on dead fallen leaves ...

''. Host: ''

Juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...

us'' *'' Lophodermium conigenum''. Host: ''Pinus'' *'' Lophodermium consociatum''. Host: ''Abies'' *'' Lophodermium culmigenum''. Host: Poaceae *'' Lophodermium decorum''. Host: ''Abies'' *'' Lophodermium durilabrum''. Host: ''Pinus'' *'' Lophodermium exaridum''. Host: ''

Pyrola ''Pyrola'' is a genus of evergreen herbaceous plants in the family Ericaceae. Under the old Cronquist system it was placed in its own family Pyrolaceae, but genetic research showed it belonged in the family Ericaceae. The species are commonly ...

'' *'' Lophodermium festucae''. Host: Poaceae *'' Lophodermium foliicola''. Host:

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a medium-sized family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus ''Rosa''. Among the most species-rich genera are ''Alchemilla'' (270), ''Sorbus ...

, particularly ''

Crataegus ''Crataegus'' (), commonly called hawthorn, quickthorn, thornapple, Voss, E. G. 1985. ''Michigan Flora: A guide to the identification and occurrence of the native and naturalized seed-plants of the state. Part II: Dicots (Saururaceae–Cornacea ...

'' *'' Lophodermium gramineum''. Host: Poaceae *'' Lophodermium herbarum''. Host: ''

Convallaria ''Convallaria'' is a genus of flowering plants. It is usually described as a monotypic genus with the single species ''Convallaria majalis'' (lily-of-the-valley), but now some botanists distinguish up to three species, also including ''Convallaria ...

'' *'' Lophodermium hypophyllum''. Host: '' Vaccinium'' *'' Lophodermium hysterioides''. Host: ''

Amelanchier ''Amelanchier'' ( ), also known as shadbush, shadwood or shadblow, serviceberry or sarvisberry (or just sarvis), juneberry, saskatoon, sugarplum, wild-plum or chuckley pear,A Digital Flora of Newfoundland and Labrador Vascular Plants/ref> is a g ...

'' *'' Lophodermium indianum''. Host: ''Pinus'' *'' Lophodermium intermissum''. Host: '' Andromeda'' *'' Lophodermium juniperinum''. Host: ''Juniperus'' *'' Lophodermium lacerum''. Host: ''Abies'' *'' Lophodermium laricinum''. Host: ''

Larix Larches are deciduous conifers in the genus ''Larix'', of the family Pinaceae (subfamily Laricoideae). Growing from tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains furth ...

'' *'' Lophodermium macci''. Host: ''Pinus'' subgenus ''Strobus'' *'' Lophodermium maculare''. Hosts: '' Arctostaphylos, Vaccinium'' *'' Lophodermium melaleucum''. Host: ''Vaccinium'' *'' Lophodermium molitoris''. Host: ''Pinus'' *'' Lophodermium nanakii''. Host: ''Picea'' *'' Lophodermium nitens''. Host: ''Pinus'' *'' Lophodermium oxycocci''. Host: ''Vaccinium'' *'' Lophodermium paeoniae''. Hosts: '' Paeonia'' *'' Lophodermium petiolicola''. Hosts: ''

Castanea The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nut (fruit), nuts they produce. Th ...

, Quercus'' *'' Lophodermium piceae''. Host: ''Abies'' (''L. abietis'' often considered synonymous) *'' Lophodermium pinastri'' Hosts: ''Larix, Pinus'' *'' Lophodermium pini-excelsae'' Host: ''Pinus'' subgenus ''Strobus'' *'' Lophodermium pini-mugonis'' Host: '' Pinus mugo'' *'' Lophodermium pyrolae''. Host: ''Pyrola'' *'' Lophodermium rubicola''. Host: '' Rubus'' *'' Lophodermium schweinitzii''. Hosts: '' Gaultheria,

Rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...

'' *'' Lophodermium seditiosum'' Host: ''Pinus'' *'' Lophodermium sphaerioides''. Host: ''Rhododendron'' *'' Lophodermium thuyae''. Host: '' Thuja'' *'' Lophodermium typhinum''. Host: ''

Typha ''Typha'' is a genus of about 30 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. These plants have a variety of common names, in British English as bulrush or reedmace, in American English as reed, cattail, or punks, in A ...

'' *'' Lophodermium uncinatum''. Host: ''Abies''

References

External links

*
Lophodermium
' at Index Fungorum {{Taxonbar, from=Q2306619 Leotiomycetes Fungal plant pathogens and diseases