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DIAMOND‐BARK DISEASES OF SYCAMORE IN BRITAIN
Author(s) -
BEVERCOMBE GAY P.,
RAYNER A. D. M.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8137.1980.tb01679.x
Subject(s) - bark (sound) , outbreak , diamond , acer pseudoplatanus , biology , botany , lilac , horticulture , ecology , chemistry , virology , organic chemistry
S ummary Outbreaks of disease in sycamore ( Acer pseudoplatanus ) characterized by development of variously sized diamond‐shaped patches of necrotic bark (diamond‐cankers) are described. It is suggested that apparently similar symptoms may be caused by a variety of agencies. The fungus Dichomera saubinetii was closely associated with diamond‐cankers in many localities but it was sometimes absent and other fungi were then present, e.g. Cryptodiaporthe lebiyesi. Callous tissue frequently develops at the margin of diamond‐cankers, allowing their time of origin to be determined by an annual ring count. The most recent, major development of the disease, associated with particularly large cankers, occurred following the drought summer of 1976. There was also evidence of previous disease outbreaks from which trees had recovered, for previously wounded surfaces had often been completely sealed over by overgrowth and fusion of callous tissue. During the 1976 outbreak, callus often failed to form effectively around diamond‐cankers, and this was associated with death of the whole, or upper part of the tree. In the most severe cases (generally not associated with D. saubinetii ) this resulted in considerable numbers of often quite large trees being destroyed within an area. Here the largest trees affected were as much as 15 to 25 m high and 0.5 to 0.75 m diameter near the base and in excess of a hundred separate cankers might be present on an individual trunk.