First Detection of Root Rot and Foliar Blight on Pittosporum ( P ittosporum tenuifolium ) Caused by P ythium irregulare in Italy

During 2013, a new root rot and leaf blight was detected on potted P ittosporum tenuifolium cv. ‘ S ilver Q ueen’ plants in a nursery located in the C atania province (eastern S icily, I taly). On the basis of morphological and cultural features as well as internal transcribed spacer sequence data, the causal agent was identified as P ythium irregulare . K och's postulates were fulfilled by pathogenicity tests carried out on potted P . tenuifolium cv. ‘ S ilver Q ueen’ plants. To our knowledge, this is the first detection of P . irregulare root rot and foliar blight disease on P . tenuifolium in E urope, and it is the first detection using molecular methods for this oomycete pathogen in I taly.