The Perfect Stage of Botrytis Convoluta

The possibility of a genetic connection between Botrytis and Sclerotinia was advanced by de Bary (1866). Later, in the revised edition of his book (1884), he again refers to this, stating with assurance that Botrytis cinerea Pers. is the conidial stage of Sclerotinia Fuckeliana (de B.) Fuckel. This statement has been accepted by some mycologists and vigorously rejected by others on the grounds of insufficient evidence. In the early years of this controversy, Ludwig (1892) described Sclerotinia Galanthi, indicating that the apothecia were associated with a Botrytis form on diseased snowdrops, and he assumed a genetic connection. No opinion can be given in this paper on the validity of these early records for they have not been critically examined. It should be pointed out, however, that in this early work the evidence in support of a Botrytis-Sclerotinia connection was based on the association of the two forms on the same substrate, the close resemblance of the disease symptoms, and the similarity of the mycelia and organs of attachment. In the light of our present knowledge, no indisputable case for a genetic connection could be made from observations of this kind.