Anthracnose
/AN-thrak-nohs/🦠 Diseases●● Intermediate
Anthracnose refers to diseases caused by fungi in genera including Colletotrichum, Apiognomonia, and Gnomonia. Symptoms include irregular dark brown to black lesions on leaves, often following veins, along with shoot dieback and distorted growth. Sycamore, dogwood, oak, and maple are commonly affected shade trees. Cool, wet spring weather promotes infection. Most anthracnose infections are cosmetic and not life-threatening to trees.
Etymology
From Greek anthrax (coal, carbuncle) + Greek nosos (disease)
Example
“Spring anthracnose caused the sycamore to drop most of its first flush of leaves, though it releafed normally by June.”