Pyricularia oryzae is a species complex that causes blast disease on more than 50 species
of poaceous plants. Pyricularia oryzae has a worldwide distribution as a rice (Oryza)
pathogen and in the last century emerged as an important wheat (Triticum) pathogen in
southern Brazil. Presently, P. oryzae pathotype Oryza is considered the rice blast pathogen,
whereas P. oryzae pathotype Triticum is the wheat blast pathogen. In this study we
investigated whether the Oryza and Triticum pathotypes of P. oryzae were distinct at the�…

Pyricularia oryzae is a species complex that causes blast disease on more than 50 species
of poaceous plants. Pyricularia oryzae has a worldwide distribution as a rice pathogen and
in the last 30 years emerged as an important wheat pathogen in southern Brazil. We
conducted phylogenetic analyses using 10 housekeeping loci for 128 isolates of P. oryzae
sampled from sympatric populations of wheat, rice, and grasses growing in or near wheat
fields. Phylogenetic analyses grouped the isolates into three major clades. Clade 1�…