Phytophthora bilorbang prov. nom., a new species associated with declining Rubus anglocandicans (blackberry) in Western Australia

TL;DRAbstract

Rubus anglocandicans is the most widespread and invasive species in the Rubus fruticosus aggregate (European blackberry) found in Australia [1]. Blackberry has been targeted by biological control since the 1980s and most of this effort has focused on introducing exotic strains of the host‐specific leaf rust, Phragmidium violaceum. During surveys established to assess the releases of the rust fungus in 2005, dead and diseased blackberry plants were found at two locations along the Warren and Donnelly Rivers in the Manjimup region of Western Australia (P. Yeoh and L. Fontanini personal communication). The disease symptoms could not be attributed to the rust fungus and the phenomenon has been referred to as ‘blackberry decline’. The disease appears to be due to root pathogen(s) and during initial sampling several Phytophthora species were isolated. In order to investigate the cause(s) of disease and the potential role of Phytophthora species in the decline, field surveys were carried out

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