Moniliophthora perniciosa
| Moniliophthora perniciosa | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Agaricales |
| Family: | Marasmiaceae |
| Genus: | Moniliophthora |
| Species: | M. perniciosa |
| Binomial name | |
| Moniliophthora perniciosa (Stahel) Aime & Phillips-Mora, (2005) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Crinipellis perniciosa (Stahel) Singer, (1943) | |
Moniliophthora perniciosa (previously Crinipellis perniciosa) is a fungus that causes "witches' broom disease" (WBD) of the cocoa tree T. cacao. This pathogen is currently limited to South America, Panama and the Caribbean, and is perhaps one of the best-known cocoa diseases, thought to have co-evolved with cocoa in its centre of origin (first recorded in the Brazilian Amazon in 1785).
This fungus is hemibiotroph, with two characteristic phases: biotrophic (expanding and infecting, on living tissue) and saprotrophic (producing basidiospores, on necrotic tissue). The biotrophic stage, and what triggers its switch to a saprotrophic stage, are still not understood.