Light- and electron-microscopic observations of Cladosporium sp. growing on basidia of Exobasidum camelliae var. gracilis

Basidia of the plant-pathogenic fungus Exobasidium camelliae var. gracilis Shirai became exposed on the abaxial side of an infected leaf of Camellia sasanqua Thunb. following the sloughing of the undersurface of the leaf. Basidia were formed in tremendous numbers in a distinct hymenium that appeared as a white, felt-like layer. Subsequently, colonies of another fungus, Cladosporium sp. appeared, initially as tiny dark dots on this white layer, but quickly increased in size to form larger circular colonies that were olive-brown to dark brown in color. Adjacent colonies sometimes merged to form larger growths with irregular margins that often covered much of the hymenium on the underside of an E. camelliae-infected leaf. The hyphae that made up a young Cladosporium sp. colony were primarily confined to the surface of the E. camelliae hymenium, and we found no evidence that hyphae actually penetrated living basidia. However, E. camelliae basidia overrun by Cladosporium sp. eventually showed signs of necrosis and finally collapsed and died, creating a slightly sunken area in the hymenium. Hyphae of Cladosporium sp. grew throughout the remains of the dead basidia, but did not appear to spread into the leaf tissue above the pseudoparenchymatous layer of hyphae that gave rise to the basidia. Based upon our observations, it is clear that Cladosporium sp. is a necrotrophic mycoparasite. More specifically, it qualifies as a contact necrotrophic, since it kills basidia without first penetrating them with its hyphae.