Brown spot disease of tree peony caused by Cylindrocladium canadense in China

In the summer of 2008, a brown spot disease in cultivated tree peony Paeonia suffruticosa was found in Shandong Province, China. The causal fungus was isolated from diseased leaves and identified as Cylindrocladium canadense J.C. Kang, Crous & C.L. Schoch based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies. Inoculation of the peony leaves with the isolated fungus resulted in similar symptoms, demonstrating that the disease is caused by this species. This report is the first of a disease on tree peony caused by C. canadense in China.