Identification and Pathogenicity of Phytopythium Species on Ornamental Plants in Shiraz City

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Plant Protection School of Agriculture Shiraz University

2 Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, Arizona State University17 Biological Station, St. George's, Bermuda

3 Shiraz University

Abstract

Plants in urban green spaces play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance, reducing air pollution, and enhancing the human health. However, these plants are susceptible to a wide range of pathogens and pests. In recent years, numerous reports have noted the presence of different Phytopythium species in ornamental plants within green spaces. In this study, soil, root, and crown-rot samples were collected from ornamental plants in Shiraz city to investigate the Phytopythium spp. biota from green spaces and parks across 11 municipal districts of Shiraz. To verify the morphological and morphometric identification, phylogenetic analysis was conducted using the genes from subunit I of cytochrome c oxidase. In addition to P. vexans complex, three species, including P. litorale, P. ostracodes, and Phytopythium sp.1 were obtained from the green space of Shiraz city, and all belonged to clade 1 of this genus. This is the first global report documenting that P. litorale is pathogenic on Persian cypress tree and P. vexans on plane tree. Based on the analysis of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (coxI) gene, a new taxon, Phytopythium sp.1, was identified among the isolates, and its formal description is currently underway. Furthermore, an examination of various biodiversity indices for the Phytopythium species community isolated from ornamental plants in Shiraz revealed that this community possesses a diverse and relatively balanced structure.

Keywords

Iranian Journal of Plant Pathology
Volume 61, Issue 1.2
December 2025
Pages 83-108

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