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Misclassification of pest as 'fungus' puts vital research on wrong track

Nature volume 411, page 633 (2001)Cite this article

Sir

In your News report on the re-emergence of late blight in Russia1, the causal agent is referred to as “the fungus Phytopthora infestans”. The genus name literally means 'plant destroyer' and is derived from the Greek words phyton and phthora, so the correct spelling is Phytophthora infestans.

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References

  1. Nature 410, 1011 (2001).

  2. Margulis, L. & Schwartz, K.V. Five Kingdoms: An Illustrated Guide to the Phyla of Life on Earth (3rd edn) 109–202 (W. H. Freeman, New York, 1998).

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  3. Drenth, A., Tas, I. C. Q. & Govers, F. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 100, 97–107 (1994).

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  4. Fry, W. E. et al. Ann. Rev. Phytopathol. 30, 107–130 (1992).

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  1. Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Binnenhaven 9, PD Wageningen, 6709, The Netherlands

    Francine Govers

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  1. Francine Govers
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Govers, F. Misclassification of pest as 'fungus' puts vital research on wrong track. Nature 411, 633 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35079764

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