Fungus on Texas Sage
Texas sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) belongs to the Scrophulariaceae or figwort family of flowering herbs. This drought-resistant shrub is native to desert regions ranges from north Mexico to New Mexico. The taproot of the Texas sage can suffer from a warm weather fungal disease known as cotton root rot, which also infects cotton plants for which it was named. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
-
Texas Sage Identification
-
Texas sage, also known as Texas ranger, cenizo, Texas silverleaf and Texas barometer bush, can reach 4 to 5 feet tall, and sometimes 8 feet tall. Texas barometer bush bears small, gray-green leaves and blossoms of lavender, white or pink petals in summer.
Cotton Root Rot
-
Cotton root rot (Phymatotrichum root rot) decays roots and leads to wilting and plant death. The soil-borne fungal pathogen Phymatotrichopsis ominvora produces tan-colored strands or hyphal webs that colonize roots, spread through the soil and infect expanses of nearby healthy roots. According to Oklahoma State University, removing the root's bark will show reddish brown stains with white tissue. Texas sage leaves turn dry and brown and stay attached to the host. Cotton root rot thrives in moist, warm conditions in different soil types at varying elevations.
-
Environment
-
Because the host plant cannot absorb sufficient water through decayed roots, wilting and death occurs during late spring to early fall, after high soil temperatures reach 82 Fahrenheit. According to the University of Arizona, cotton root rot spreads in a circular area from the infected host.
-
References
- Photo Credit fresh sage. herbs and spices image by joanna wnuk from Fotolia.com
