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Issue: Vol. 767 No. 2: 21 Jul. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-07-21
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.767.2.4
Page range: 159-172
Abstract views: 28
PDF downloaded: 0

Nothophoma spp. causing canker disease of Populus in China

"School of Ecology and Nature Conservation; Beijing Forestry University; Beijing; 100083; China
Beijing Working Peoples Cultural Palace; Beijing; 100006; China
School of Ecology and Nature Conservation; Beijing Forestry University; Beijing; 100083; China
College of life Sciences; Shihezi University; Shihezi 832003; China
School of Ecology and Nature Conservation; Beijing Forestry University; Beijing; 100083; China"
Fungi Pathogenicity Poplar Taxonomy

Abstract

Populus spp. (poplars) are ecologically and economically important trees worldwide. However, poplar diseases have increased in severity in recent years, threatening their growth and productivity. In this study, 70 diseased branch and trunk samples were collected from infected Populus trees in Gansu and Shanxi provinces, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China. Fungal isolates from these samples were identified using morphological characteristics combined with multilocus phylogenetic analyses of the ITS, RPB2, and TUB2 loci. Three Nothophoma species were confirmed: the known N. platycladi and N. juglandis, and a novel species described here as N. populina. Pathogenicity tests fulfilling Koch’s postulates demonstrated that all three species are capable of causing poplar canker disease.

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How to Cite

Liu, X.-N., Wang, J., Zhao, L.-L., Tohtirjap, A. & Zhang, Y. (2026) Nothophoma spp. causing canker disease of Populus in China. Phytotaxa 767 (2): 159–172. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.767.2.4