Main symptoms

Plants affected by Golovinomyces cichoracearum var. cichoracearum show very characteristic symptoms regardless of the age of the plants (Figures 1 and 2). A grayish-white, powdery felting first appears as spots on the upper surfaces of old leaves (Figures 3-6). These gradually extend and merge to cover a more or less important portion of the limbus (figure 2). Spots are sometimes visible under the blade. The affected tissues are often chlorotic and show brown lesions (Figure 6), irregular, following the death of plant cells.

The presence of tiny black, spherical masses, the cleistothecia of the fungus, has sometimes been reported on colonized tissue. Rather old plants and old leaves are more affected.