Gynostemma pentaphyllum, also known as Jiao-Gu-Lan, is a perennial liana belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae. This plant has been used as a traditional folk medicine for the treatment of various human diseases. In May 2020, G. pentaphyllum cultivated at the Research Station of Medicinal Plants at Tam Dao, Vinh Phuc, Vietnam was affected severely by root rot disease, resulting in leaf yellowing, wilting, and death. Based on morphology and sequence analysis of the ITS region, the pathogen was identified as Globisporangium attrantheridium. Koch's postulates were fulfilled. This is the first report of Gl. attrantheridium as a pathogen causing root rot on G. pentaphyllum. This finding will be of importance for effective disease management.

No abstract