Isolation and Identification of Fusicoccum Species from Quercus dentata

An imperfect fungus Fusiococcum species was isolated from Quercus dentata. A naturally infected Daimyo oak tree was collected and showed elongate wounds on the stem. The fungal cultures were initially white and cottony, and later turned dark gray. Numerous solitary pycnidia were developed on the medium surface, and typically spherical. Yellowish conidial masses were exuded from pycnidia on the culture plates. Conidial masses were swollen and measured as approximately 100 to $300{\mu}m$ in length. It appeared that conidia were usually held together in globose to oval drops. Conidia were hyaline, single-celled (nonseptate), ellipsoid to fusoid, and measured as approximately $8.0{\times}2.7{\mu}m$. Based on these cultural and morphological characteristics, the fungal isolate was identified as a species of Fusicoccum Corda. To preserve and examine fungal spores exuded from pycnidia on the medium surface, a vapor fixation procedure for scanning electron microscopy was employed in this study. The specimens were exposed to the vapor of 2% (v/v) glutaraldehyde and 2% (w/v) osmium tetroxide each for 2 h. With the vapor fixation we obtained excellent retention of conidial masses in this study. The simple and versatile procedure for demonstrating fungal spores and their exudation from fruiting bodies would facilitate characterization of diverse pathological and environmental isolates as they are in native environments.