<i>Nigrospora</i> Species Causing Leaf Disease on <i>Camellia</i> Plants

ABSTRACT Camellia sinensis and C. japonica plant leaves with spots were collected in Zhejiang Province, China. Three representative isolates resembling Nigrospora were selected for identification and pathogenicity test. Based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses of the partial regions of internal transcribed spacer (ITS), beta‐tubulin ( TUB2 ), and translation elongation factor 1‐alpha ( TEF ) sequences, the isolates from C. japonica were identified as Nigrospora. oryzae and N. philosophiae‐doctoris , while the one from C. sinensis as N. camelliae‐sinensis . Inoculation of the isolates on healthy leaves showed symptoms similar to those observed in the field, and the fungi were reisolated from the lesions. To our knowledge, this represents the first report of leaf spot disease caused by Nigrospora species on C. japonica worldwide. The result further confirms that species residing the genus of Nigrospora act as causal agents of plant leaf spot disease, and their potential impact deserves further investigation.