Infection process of Colletotrichum destructivum O'Gara from lucerne (Medicago sativa L.)

The infection process of Colletotrichum destructivum, a cause of anthracnose in lucerne (= alfalfa, Medicago sativa) was studied by light microscopy. At the onset of the host-pathogen interaction, the fungus produced large, multilobed, multiseptate infection vesicles with elongated neck regions. Each infection structure packed the lumen of the initially-infected epidermal cell and remained confined within its walls for 48 h. Subsequently, narrow, invasive secondary hyphae radiated from the multilobed vesicles, grew through the walls of host cells and rapidly colonized the surrounding tissues. Acervuli emerged on the surface of colonized leaves 96 h after inoculation. These observations are discussed in relation to the infection process and specificity of a genetically closely-related isolate of Colletotrichum destructivum causing anthracnose in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata).