Draft genome assembly of Passalora sequoiae a needle blight pathogen on Leyland cypress.

Objective: Passalora sequoiae (family Mycosphaerellaceae) causes a twig blight on Leyland cypress that requires numerous fungicide applications annually to minimize economic losses for ornamental plant nursery and Christmas tree producers. The objective was to generate a high-quality draft assembly of the genome of P. sequoiae as a resource for primer development to investigate genotype diversity.

Genetic Diversity and Conservation Status of , an Endangered Sunflower of the Southern United States.

Evaluating species diversity and patterns of population genetic variation is an essential aspect of conservation biology to determine appropriate management strategies and preserve the biodiversity of native plants. Habitat fragmentation and potential habitat loss are often an outcome of a reduction in naturally occurring wildfires and controlled prescribed burning, as seen in (whorled sunflower). This endangered, wild relative of the common sunflower, , is endemic to four locations in Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee, United States.

Low Genetic Diversity Suggests the Recent Introduction of Dogwood Powdery Mildew to North America.

(flowering dogwood) is a popular understory tree endemic to the eastern hardwood forests of the United States. In 1996, dogwood powdery mildew caused by , an obligate biotrophic fungus of large bracted dogwoods, reached epidemic levels throughout the growing region. In the late 1990s, both sexual and asexual stages of were regularly observed; thereafter, the sexual stage was found less frequently.