Phyllosticta
Phyllosticta is a genus of fungi. Many of the species in this genus are common and important plant pathogens. They typically infect the foliage and cause tannish-gray leaf spots with dark brown to purple borders. However, Phyllosticta may also infect fruit and stems. Yield loss is a common consequence of Phyllosticta infection. Representatives of the genus are found worldwide and on a wide range of plant hosts.
History
Phyllosticta was introduced by German mycologist Persoon in 1818 and species Phyllosticta convallariae was designated as the type species. Since Phyllosticta is distinct from other genera in that family, Seaver treated it in the family Phyllostictaceae of the order Phyllostictites. Nevertheless, Phyllosticta was accommodated in the family Botryosphaeriaceae in several major studies. However, the phylogenetic analyses by Wikee et al. allocated Phyllosticta in a clade sister to Botryosphaeriaceae. As a result, the genus was accepted in the family Phyllostictaceae, in the order Botryosphaeriales.A total of 3,213 names are documented for Phyllosticta in the Index Fungorum . However, many of these names have been synonymised. In 2022, 1499 species are accepted in the genus.