Members of the Genus Spongospora


This genus has four members. Two of them, S.s.s. and S.s.n., are important pathogens on vegetables.


Key to the species (Karling, 1968; with supplement)


Spongospora subterranea f.sp. subterranea

Sporosorus usually spongy, often hollow, or with numerous irregular channels and openings. Size 19-85 µm (most 40-80). Color: hyaline to yellow, brown and green. A sporosorus consists of 500-1000 single spores. Single resting spores: 3.5-4.5 µm diam. A host cell contains often more than one sporosorus. Primary and secondary zoospores: heterocont biflagellated, 2.5-4.6 µm diam. Zoosporangia small, ovoid or spherical, or large, elongate, lobed and irregular, single , or united loosely in sporangiosori. Each compartment contains an even number of secondary zoospores. Parasitic in Solanacea.


Spongospora subterranea f.sp. nasturtii

Sporosorus somewhat spongy, often hollow with numerous irregular channels and openings. Size 12-82 µm. Color: yellowish-brown. Single resting spores: 3.6-4.5 µm diam. Sporosori conforming usually in size and shape to those of host cell. Primary zoospore: size unknown. Secondary zoospore: heterocont biflagelated, 2.4-6.0 µm diam. Zoosporangia small, ovoid, spherical od polyhedral, mostly united in sporangiosori. Parsitic in Nasturtium.


Spongospora campanulae

Sporosorus irregular or globular or elongate, with large irregular channels. Size 25-50µm. Color: unknown. Single resting spores: 4-5.5 µm diam., with fairly thick and slightly verrucose walls. Zoospores and zoosporangia: unknown. Parasitic in Campanula.


Spongospora cotulae

Sporosorus almost rectangular to cubical and irregular in outline with hollow cavities of various sizes and shapes. Size: 47-72 µm. Color: yellowish. A sporosorus consists of up to 100 or more single spores. Single resting spores: size unknown, with a thick wall. Sporosori conforming usually in size and shape to those of host cell. Primary and secondary zoospores: heterocont biflagelated, 3.5-4 µm diam. Zoosporangia globose to slightly irregular, thinwalled, loosely united. Parasitic in Cotula.


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Last update: December 2020