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Chrondrostereum purpureum
This post will discuss Chrondrostereum purpureum, a fungal plant pathogen that causes silver leaf disease in trees.
I made this post in response to this poll.
Fruit body and spores
Subsequent to starting as a crust on the wood, the fruiting body develops undulating intergrowing brackets up to about 3 centimeters wide, which have a tough rubbery texture.¹ The sterile upper surface is hirsute to tomentose and is somewhat grayish or brownish in colour. The fertile lower surface is pinkish to dark purple at first, becoming dark brownish-violet with age. Especially at the early stages of growing, it often secretes dark purple coloured liquid through a process known as guttation.² After a week or two the fruiting structure dries out, becomes brittle, and turns a drab brown or beige.¹
The spores are cylindric, approximately 5–8 μm x 3–4 μm in size, hyaline and inamyloid. The hyphal structure is monomitic with clamp connections.¹
Ecology and silver leaf disease
Chrondrostereum purpureum can be found on living and dead hardwoods, mostly on broad-leafed species, but it can also be a serious parasite of conifers.² It is a well-known pathogen of members of the Rosaceae family, especially various Prunus species², but also apple, pear, willow, maple, etc.¹ As a pathogen C. purpureum causes a progressive and frequently fatal disease, called 'silver leaf disease'², which causes the leaves of the tree to silver and is followed by the death of the branches.¹
Distribution
Geographically the fungus is just about as widespread as its host. It can be found in woods, orchards and tree plantations in temperate climates.¹
As a human pathogen
There has been a single case report which confirmed a human infection with Chondrostereum purpureum in a non immunocompromised man. The man had been working with infected plant material which caused him to get infected, however, it was resolved by treating him with antifungal medication.¹
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References
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Images
https://www.instagram.com/p/C04kvGuLvYw/?igsh=MXh6a3hicHgweGNpcA%3D%3D
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