First report of Lasiodiplodia theobromae causing stem rot in Plectranthus ornatus

Abstract

Medicinal plants have been used since the dawn of human civilization and over the years have gained attention in the academic community due to their use beyond folk medicine. Numerous plants make up recipes to suppress symptoms of various illnesses, with emphasis on plants of the genus Plectranthus and their antimicrobial properties. In July 2016, P. ornatus plants observed in a garden located in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil, which demonstrated symptoms of dry stem rot. Two fungi isolated from stem lesions were identified by morphological comparisons and combined DNA sequences as Lasiodiplodia theobromae. This is the first report of this pathogen in this medicinal plant in the world.