First Record of Ptychogaster cubensis Causing Canker and Decay on Citrus and Grape Trees in Egypt

Ptychogaster cubensis is a widespread wood decay fungus causing white rot and canker decay in several hard wood trees in tropical and subtropical countries. In October of 2008 and 2010, during an examination of citrus and grape trees growing in Qalubyia, Beni Sweif and Giza governorates, several citrus and grape trees were observed with symptoms and signs of canker and decay disease on the bark and branches (Fig. 1). In addition infected trees showed decline symptoms, swellings and cracks in the bark of the trunk, exhibited poor vegetative vigour, shortened branches with few and smaller leaves, few fruits, twigs dieback, swelling and cracks in the bark of the trunk, and several broken and dead branches. Golden brown masses of fungal fleshy tissue which exude droplets of clear liquid from their surface occurred over the affected areas, at first moist, later, these structure assume drier and firmer and become" crumbly and dusty" due to the formation of chlamydospores, branches infected with the fungus (anamorph: Ptychogaster cubensis) often" bleed" or exude red brown to coffee brown or black sap. Based on morphological characteristics, the fungus was identified as Ptychogaster cubensis, the anamorph of Inonotus rickii.