Erysiphe magnifica causes powdery mildew on Magnolia compressa

Abstract

In October 2017, Magnolia compressa, an endangered species in Korea, was found to be heavily infected with a powdery mildew. Morphological examination of anamorph structures and molecular analyses of the ITS and 28S rDNA regions confirmed Erysiphe magnifica as the fungus causing the mildew. The host range of E. magnifica has been limited to Magnolia species, with an occasional record of infection on Nelumbo nucifera. This report presents the first finding of E. magnifica infection on M. compressa worldwide.