Haryudian Prihastuti*/**/***/****, Lei Cai*, Jo Anne Crouch*****, Sitthisack Phoulivong**/******, Mohamed A. Moslem*******, Eric H.C. McKenzie******** and Kevin D. Hyde**/****/*******

*Key Laboratory of Systematic Mycology & Lichenology, Institute of
Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China.
**School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Thasud, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand.
***Faculty of Agriculture, Brawijaya University, Malang 65145, Indonesia.
****International Fungal Research & Development Centre, The Research Institute
of Resource Insects, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Bailongsi, Kunming 650224,
PR China.
*****Cereal Disease Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 1551 Lindig Street, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA.
******Department of Plant Science, Faculty of Agriculture, National University of Laos, Vientiane, 7322, Lao PDR.
*******Botany and Microbiology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box: 2455, Riyadh 1145, Saudi Arabia.
********Landcare Research, Private Bag 92170, Auckland, New Zealand.

Prihastuti H., Cai L., Crouch J. A., Phoulivong S., Moslem, M. A., McKenzie, E. H. C. & Hyde K. D. (2010) Neotypification of Colletotrichum falcatum, the causative agent of red-rot disease in sugarcane. – Sydowia 62 (2): 283–293.

Colletotrichum falcatum is an important pathogen of sugarcane causing red rot disease. The type specimen of this species could not be located in any herbaria. A fresh specimen was therefore collected and isolated from the location as stated in the protologue. A neotype of C. falcatum with a living culture is designated in order to stabilize the application of the species name. The morphology of conidia and appressoria, and cultural characters of the ex-neotype culture is provided and its pathogenicity on sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is confirmed by re-inoculation. Phylogenetic analysis showed that C. falcatum clusters in a distinct lineage in the curved-spored Colletotrichum species.
Key words: disease, plant pathogen, Saccharum officinarum, taxonomy