<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">It's possible we've been seeing the
disease/pathogen black cohosh at the MPWG field sites in Virginia for a
couple years. -Patricia</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Patricia S. De Angelis, Ph.D.<br>
Botanist - Division of Scientific Authority<br>
Chair - Plant Conservation Alliance - Medicinal Plant Working Group<br>
US Fish & Wildlife Service<br>
4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 110<br>
Arlington, VA 22203<br>
703-358-1708 x1753<br>
FAX: 703-358-2276<br>
<br>
Promoting sustainable use and conservation of our native medicinal plants.<br>
<www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal><br>
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<td width=40%><font size=1 face="sans-serif"><b>ForestRuss@aol.com</b>
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<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Sent by: apwg-bounces@lists.plantconservation.org</font>
<p><font size=1 face="sans-serif">09/03/2009 09:04 AM</font>
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<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">To</font></div>
<td><font size=1 face="sans-serif">APWG@lists.plantconservation.org</font>
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<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">cc</font></div>
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<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Subject</font></div>
<td><font size=1 face="sans-serif">[APWG] Microstegium health questions
update</font></table>
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<br><font size=2 face="Arial">APWG:</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial">Since sending out my initial e-mail about
some sort of unknown disease or pathogen killing Microstegium in West Virginia
I have received an encouraging number of responses and I would like
to pass on some answers to questions that several people have asked. I
would also like to pass on some updated information.</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial"><b>Does it appear that the disease or whatever
it is shows similar or related symptoms in native plants? </b>From
what I have observed, the answer would be yes. I have seen similar
lesions in a couple of local woodland grasses but it seemed more to damage
or kill individual leaves of grass plants rather than the entire plant.
</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial">There is still no word on the name or identity
of the pathogen but a fresh sample of sick and dying stiltgrass was mailed
to Indiana University to see whether our pathogen matched something discovered
in Microstegium patches there recently.</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial">The weather in central West Virginia has
been pretty normal this summer. It has not been anywhere as wet as
parts of the northeast. We had a very dry period during late June
and early July but generally it has not been a year of extremes. </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial">I have been in contact with people at the
WV Department of Agriculture and the disease and they have identified a
similar health issue with stiltgrass in Lincoln County, West Virginia.</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial">Several people have suggested a rust and
some people suggested that it was a wind born virus. Because I have
found infected individual plants over 100 feet from any other plants I
would have to vote for wind dispersal. I have found very small individual
plants, the kind that are usually at the leading edge of an invasion with
spots on their leaves...those plants are so small that all evidence of
their existence is gone as soon as they die.</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial">As the stiltgrass plants die it appears that
they die from the bottom up....kind of like diseased tomatoes. Some
of the plants develop black spots on their stems and it seems that
when the black spots show up the likelihood of seed production drops.</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial">At Crummies Creek there are several sites
where the mortality has been occurring that will be easy to relocate next
year to see what happens. </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial">I am taking additional photos each day as
things deconstruct and will post a follow up as soon as I hear anything
on the identity of the disease organism.</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial">One final observation. It appears that
whatever it is very contagious. Woods roads that have been traveled
since being infected sport nothing but dead stiltgrass wherever wheel tracks
have passed over. </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial">I hope the photos and comments below add
some worthwhile information to the discussion.</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial">Russ Richardson, Certified Forester</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial">Crummies Creek Tree Farm</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial">PO Box 207</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial">Arnoldsburg, WV 25234</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial">304-655-8919</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial"> c-304-3773231</font>
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<div align=center><font size=3 face="Verdana">Japanese stiltgrass at Crummies
Creek. The plants in this photo were climbing the road bank and averaged
close to six feet tall as they went up the slope. Nearly all plants
on the more gently sloping terrain above are very stunted and average less
than a foot tall and will produce no seed in 2009 and seed production in
general should be off by more than 95%. This is open woodland that
receives several hours of sunshine each morning. </font>
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<div align=center><font size=3 face="Verdana">This is a close up of the
remaining stiltgrass in the photo above.</font>
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<div align=center><font size=3 face="Verdana">This is very sick Japanese
stiltgrass growing in optimum conditions for MV...very fertile woodland
sites, northeastern exposure with at least three hours of full sun a day.
For forest management purposes the area has a site index of over
80 and the understory vegetation of the site includes: American ginseng,
Goldenseal, black Cohosh and several other related forest plants.</font>
<br><font size=3 face="Verdana"> </font>
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<div align=center><font size=3 face="Verdana">This is my dog Roy for a
comparison of what "healthy" stiltgrass looks like. Roy is a
very large dog and sits close to three feet tall...the stiltgrass on the
road behind him is over four feet tall. In healthy stiltgrass the
only part of him you can see walking through the woods is the tip of his
tail.</font>
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<div align=center><font size=3 face="Arial">There will be no problem finding
the dogs in this sick patch of stiltgrass.</font></div></table>
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