''Botryotinia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of ascomycete

fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...

causing several plant diseases. The anamorphs of ''Botryotinia'' are mostly included in the " imperfect fungi" genus ''Botrytis''. The genus contains 22 species and one hybrid. Plant diseases caused by ''Botryotinia'' species appear primarily as blossom

blight Blight refers to a specific symptom affecting plants in response to infection by a pathogenic organism. Description Blight is a rapid and complete chlorosis, browning, then death of plant tissues such as leaves, branches, twigs, or floral org ...

s and fruit rots but also as leaf spots and bulb rots in the field and in stored products. The fungi induce

host cell In biology and medicine, a host is a larger organism that harbours a smaller organism; whether a parasitic, a mutualistic, or a commensalist ''guest'' (symbiont). The guest is typically provided with nourishment and shelter. Examples include a ...

death resulting in progressive decay of infected plant tissue, whence they take nutrients.

Sexual reproduction Sexual reproduction is a type of reproduction that involves a complex life cycle in which a gamete ( haploid reproductive cells, such as a sperm or egg cell) with a single set of chromosomes combines with another gamete to produce a zygote th ...

takes place with

ascospore An ascus (; ) is the sexual spore-bearing cell produced in ascomycete fungi. Each ascus usually contains eight ascospores (or octad), produced by meiosis followed, in most species, by a mitotic cell division. However, asci in some genera or ...

s produced in

apothecia An ascocarp, or ascoma (), is the fruiting body ( sporocarp) of an ascomycete phylum fungus. It consists of very tightly interwoven hyphae and millions of embedded asci, each of which typically contains four to eight ascospores. Ascocarps are mos ...

, conidia are the means of asexual reproduction.

Sclerotia A sclerotium (; (), is a compact mass of hardened fungal mycelium containing food reserves. One role of sclerotia is to survive environmental extremes. In some higher fungi such as ergot, sclerotia become detached and remain dormant until favor ...

of plano-convexoid shape are typical. Some species also cause

damping off Damping off (or damping-off) is a horticultural disease or condition, caused by several different pathogens that kill or weaken seeds or seedlings before or after they germinate. It is most prevalent in wet and cool conditions. Symptoms There ar ...

, killing seeds or

seedling A seedling is a young sporophyte developing out of a plant embryo from a seed. Seedling development starts with germination of the seed. A typical young seedling consists of three main parts: the radicle (embryonic root), the hypocotyl (embryo ...

s during or before germination. ''

Botryotinia fuckeliana ''Botryotinia'' is a genus of ascomycete fungi causing several plant diseases. The anamorphs of ''Botryotinia'' are mostly included in the "imperfect fungi" genus ''Botrytis''. The genus contains 22 species and one hybrid. Plant diseases caused ...

'' (or its anamorph ''

Botrytis cinerea ''Botrytis cinerea'' is a necrotrophic fungus that affects many plant species, although its most notable hosts may be wine grapes. In viticulture, it is commonly known as "botrytis bunch rot"; in horticulture, it is usually called "grey mould" o ...

'') is an important species for

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

industry as well as horticulture. Other economically important species include ''

Botryotinia convoluta ''Botryotinia'' is a genus of ascomycete fungi causing several plant diseases. The anamorphs of ''Botryotinia'' are mostly included in the "imperfect fungi" genus ''Botrytis''. The genus contains 22 species and one hybrid. Plant diseases caused ...

'' (the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specime ...

of the genus), ''

Botryotinia polyblastis ''Botryotinia polyblastis'' is a fungal plant pathogen that causes Narcissus Fire of daffodils, genus ''Narcissus Narcissus may refer to: Biology * ''Narcissus'' (plant), a genus containing daffodils and others People * Narcissus (mythology), ...

'', ''

Botrytis allii ''Botrytis allii'' is a plant pathogen, a fungus that causes neck rot in stored onions (''Onion, Allium cepa'') and related crops. Its teleomorph is unknown, but other species of ''Botryotinia, Botrytis'' are anamorphs of ''Botryotinia'' species ...

'' and ''

Botrytis fabae ''Botrytis fabae'' is a plant pathogen, a fungus that causes chocolate spot disease of broad or fava bean plants, ''Vicia faba''. It was described scientifically by Mexican-born Galician microbiologist Juan Rodríguez Sardiña in 1929. Sympto ...

''. ''

Botrytis tulipae Botrytis may refer to: * ''Botrytis'' (fungus), the anamorphs of fungi of the genus ''Botryotinia'' **''Botrytis cinerea'', a mold important in wine making *Botrytis, the cauliflower cultivar group of ''Brassica oleracea ''Brassica oleracea'' is ...

'' is a serious pest of

tulip Tulips (''Tulipa'') are a genus of spring-blooming perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes (having bulbs as storage organs). The flowers are usually large, showy and brightly coloured, generally red, pink, yellow, or white (usually in warm ...

crops and ''

Botrytis narcissicola ''Botrytis narcissicola'' is a plant pathogen, a fungus that causes narcissus smoulder of daffodils, genus ''Narcissus Narcissus may refer to: Biology * ''Narcissus'' (plant), a genus containing daffodils and others People * Narcissus (mytho ...

'' the bulbs of '' Narcissus''.

Taxonomy

For a complete list of species, see Beever and Weeds, Table 1. Selected species (anamorph, teleomorph) include; * ''

'' Munn * ''

'' Pers.:Fr.— ''

'' (de Bary) Whetzel * ''

'' (Drayton) Whetzel * ''

'' Sardiña * ''

'' Kleb. ex Westerd. & JFH Beyma syn. ''Sclerotinia narcissicola'' * ''

'' Dowson syn. ''Sclerotinia polyblastis'' * ''

'' Lind

References

Bibliography

WR Jarvis.Botryotinia and Botrytis species : taxonomy, physiology and pathogenicity : a guide to the literature (1977)
*

External links

Index Fungorum
* * Staats et al.200

* Synoptic keys to the inoperculate stromatic discomycetes in the Nordic countrie

Sclerotiniaceae Fungal plant pathogens and diseases {{plant-disease-stub