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Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 15(2): 163-165, 2008 (December) 
© 2008 Bangladesh Association of Plant Taxonomists - Short communication  

 

GIBBERELLA  ZEAE  (SCHW.) PETCH - A NEW RECORD OF 
ASCOMYCETOUS FUNGUS FOR BANGLADESH 

 
SHAMIM SHAMSI1 AND RAZIA SULTANA 

 

Department of Botany, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh 
 

  Keywords: Gibberella zeae, Ascomycetes, Bangladesh 
 
  Gibberella zeae (Schw.) Petch, the  teleomorph of Fusarium graminearum Schwabe, 
has been described and illustrated in the present paper as a new Ascomycetes record for 
Bangladesh. Gibberella zeae causes a good number of diseases on various graminaceous 
as well as non-graminaceous host plants. Perithecial stage of G. zeae was earlier recorded 
on Arrhenatherum, Avena, Glyceria, Hordeum, Phragmites and Triticum (Ellis and Ellis 
1985).   
 Recently, the authors recorded G. zeae on two jute species, namely Corchorus 
capsularis L. and C. olitorius L. from Bangladesh. Jute is therefore a new host record of 
the fungus. Numerous perithecia of G. zeae were found on dried stems and fruits of jute 
along with pycnidia of Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid., Botryodiplodia  
theobromae Pat. and Cercospora corchori Sawada.  
 Gibberella zeae was isolated following “streaking” method (CAB 1968) on PDA 
medium (potato dextrose agar medium), but the fungus did not produce conidia or 
perithecia in culture.  Microscopic details of the fungus were made from freshly collected 
samples of infected stems and fruits of Corchorus capsularis and C. olitorius. Species 
determination was made following Booth (1971) and Ellis and Ellis (1985).            
 
Gibberella zeae (Schw.) Petch, Annls mycol.  34: 260, 1936.  (Plates  1, 2) 
 Colony grayish on PDA medium at temperature between 22º and 28ºC and pH 6.  
Hyphae grayish. Perithecia with an outer stromatic wall of 16-18 µm width, clustered 
around the lower nodes and basal parts of the infected stems and fruits, 145-200 µm in 
diameter, black, violet or bluish grey in transmitted light. Asci 65-82  9-12 µm, 8-
spored. Ascospores pale straw-coloured, curved, fusoid, but with rounded ends, 3-septate, 
16.5-27.5  3.5-5.0 µm.   
 Specimens examined: On stems and fruits of Corchorus capsularis, Botanical 
Garden, Curzon Hall Campus, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, S. Shamsi 2075, 4 December 
2007; on stems and fruits of C. olitorius, Botanical Garden, Curzon Hall Campus, 
University of Dhaka, Dhaka, S. Shamsi 2095, 19 February 2008. 
 

1Corresponding author. E-mail: prof.shamsi@gmail.com 



164 SHAMSI AND SULTANA 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



GIBBERELLA ZEAE (SCHW.) PETCH 165 

 

 

Acknowledgements 
 The authors express their sincere thanks and gratitude to Prof. A.Z.M. Nowsher Ali 
Khan, Department of Botany, University of Dhaka for his valuable comments and 
suggestions on the manuscript. 
 
References 
Booth, C. 1971. The Genus Fusarium. The Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Kew, Surrey, England, pp. 

179-182. 

CAB (Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau) 1968. Plant Pathologist’s Pocket Book. The Commonwealth 
Mycological Institute, Kew, Surrey, England, pp. 1-267. 

Ellis, M.B. and Ellis, J.P. 1985. Microfungi on Land Plants. Biddles Ltd., Guildford and Kings Lynn, Great 
Britain, pp. 1-818. 

 
 (Manuscript received on 18 March 2008; revised on 4 December 2008)