[MPWG] Unknown disease/pathogen on Microstegium (Jap. stiltgrass) - on native medicinals, too?

Fri Sep 4 13:38:38 CDT 2009

Hello everyone,

Patricia, I have many black cohosh (native) plants.

Two of them developed first, a light green to yellowing of their
leaves mid July. First one then the other followed suite. They were about 6
foot from each other.

About two weeks later their leaves began to turn a brown/black, which
traveled all the way down their stem. I had to totally remove them b/c of
not knowing for sure if this was the blight and, to not get passed onto my
other black cohosh plants (15 plants). These plants are about 150 feet from
the ones that became ill and are still without problem. They are in a more
protected area, under trees and mostly shade.

Is this what you have found with your diseased black cohosh? My camera was
not working at the time.

The two black cohosh that became sick were in partial sun and near an open
field.

Marguerite

PS: I live in Delaware County in upstate New York where this year June, July
and August had constant rain just about everyday *and*, the
temperature didn't get much above 75 maybe 80 degrees until the 2nd week of
August. Which only lasted for 1 1/2 weeks.

On 9/4/09, Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov <Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov> wrote:
>
>
> It's possible we've been seeing the disease/pathogen black cohosh at the
> MPWG field sites in Virginia for a couple years. -Patricia
>
> Patricia S. De Angelis, Ph.D.
> Botanist - Division of Scientific Authority
> Chair - Plant Conservation Alliance - Medicinal Plant Working Group
> US Fish & Wildlife Service
> 4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 110
> Arlington, VA  22203
> 703-358-1708 x1753
> FAX: 703-358-2276
>
> Promoting sustainable use and conservation of our native medicinal plants.
> <www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal>
>
>
>
>   *ForestRuss at aol.com*
> Sent by: apwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org
>
> 09/03/2009 09:04 AM
>    To
> APWG at lists.plantconservation.org  cc
>   Subject
> [APWG] Microstegium health questions update
>
>
>
>
> APWG:
>
> 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.
>
> *Does it appear that the disease or whatever it is shows similar or
> related symptoms in native plants?  *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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> I hope the photos and comments below add some worthwhile information to the
> discussion.
>
> Russ Richardson, Certified Forester
> Crummies Creek Tree Farm
> PO Box 207
> Arnoldsburg, WV 25234
>
> 304-655-8919
>  c-304-3773231
>
>  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.
>
>
>
>
>      This is a close up of the remaining stiltgrass in the photo above.
>
>
>
>
>
>      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.
>
>
>
>
>
>      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.
>
>
>
>
>      There will be no problem finding the dogs in this sick patch of
> stiltgrass.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
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>

-- 

May our walk be soft and gentle
as we gather our roots once again.

Marguerite Uhlmann-Bower, R.N., Herbalist
TheHerbalNurses™
226 Kelso Rd. / Sanders Lane
East Meredith, NY 13757
(607) 278-9635
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