Moniliophthora perniciosa

Moniliophthora perniciosa (previously Crinipellis perniciosa) is a fungus that causes "witches' broom disease" (WBD) of the cocoa tree T. cacao. This pathogen is currently limited to South America, Panama and the Caribbean, and is perhaps one of the best-known cocoa diseases, thought to have co-evolved with cocoa in its centre of origin (first recorded in the Brazilian Amazon in 1785).

Moniliophthora perniciosa
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Agaricales
Family: Marasmiaceae
Genus: Moniliophthora
Species:
M. perniciosa
Binomial name
Moniliophthora perniciosa
(Stahel) Aime & Phillips-Mora, (2005)
Synonyms

Crinipellis perniciosa (Stahel) Singer, (1943)
Crinipellis perniciosa var. perniciosa (Stahel) Singer, (1943)
Marasmius perniciosus Stahel, (1915)

This fungus is hemibiotroph, with two characteristic phases: biotrophic (expanding and infecting, on living tissue) and saprotrophic (producing basidiospores, on necrotic tissue). The biotrophic stage, and what triggers its switch to a saprotrophic stage, are still not understood.

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