Macrophomina euphorbiicola: sporulation and taxonomic emendation

Abstract This study investigated whether the genus Luffa could act as a sporulation inducer for Macrophomina euphorbiicola , with the aim of providing a morphological description and proposing a taxonomic amendment for the species. In a greenhouse, Luffa cylindrica was inoculated with M. euphorbiicola to induce the formation of pycnidia and conidia. Previously, M. euphorbiicola had been described only using molecular methods. Eighty days after inoculation, symptoms of stem rot disease were observed, such as collar lesions, leaf necrosis, and pycnidia on the hypocotyl and roots. Molecular identification of the isolate used was confirmed through amplification of the TEF1-α gene using specific primers (MeTefF/MeTefR). Morphological characterization revealed structures (pycnidia and conidia) smaller than those reported in other species of the genus. These findings reinforce the importance of an integrated approach combining morphological and molecular data for the identification of M. euphorbiicola and highlight L. cylindrica as an effective host for inducing sporulation.