first occurred in Chiba and Miyazaki Prefectures in 1985 and 1991, respectively. A species of Colletotrichum unknown in Japan at that time was isolated from diseased plants in both locations. On the other hand, fruit rot of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindley) has long been known to be caused by Colletotri chum gloeosporioides (Penzig) Penzig et Saccardo (syn onym: Gloeosporium eriobotryae Spegazzini) and some other fungi6,7). Another species of Colletotrichum was isolated from rotten fruits of loquat in Chiba Pref. from 1987 to 1993 and in Kagoshima Pref. in 1990. The fungi isolated from both plants were morphologically similar to one another, but obviously different from descriptions of C. gloeosporioides1,14). Therefore, we identified the isolates in detail and carried out inoculation experi ments with them. Anthracnose of prairie gentian Small, ellipsoid and light brown lesions appeared first on stems and occasionally on leaves. The lesions enlarged and bore numbers of concentrically arranged arcervuli with rose to orange conidial masses (Plate I-1). The lesions often developed at nodes in immature plant parts. When stems were girdled by lesions, upper parts became wilted and blighted (Plate 1-2). The acervuli were subepidermal, 0.05-1.5mm in diameter and lacked setae (Plate I-3). Conidiophores were cylindrical to obclavate, straight or slightly curved, hyaline, 10-24ƒÊm in length and 2.8-3.2ƒÊ m in width. Conidia were aseptate, hyaline, allantoid, fusiform or cylindrical with acute or rounded ends,