has gloss | eng: Sooty molds are Ascomycete fungi which grow from the sugary honeydew secreted by plants and insects aphids, scales, the whitefly, and other insects which suck sap from their host plants. The name itself is descriptive, as sooty mold is a black, powdery coating on the leaves of ornamentals such as azaleas, gardenias, camellias, crepe myrtles, and laurels. Plants located under pecan or hickory trees are more susceptible to sooty mold because honeydew-secreting insects often inhabit these trees, and the honeydew can drip down to the plants below. Look for sooty mold on new growth and leaves, since these insects prefer soft tissue. The fungus itself does little harm to the plant; it merely blocks sunlight and very rarely may stunt a plant's growth and yellow its foliage. Thus, sooty mold is essentially a cosmetic problem, as it is unsightly and can take over a plant in a matter of days or weeks. Some common genera causing sooty molds are Cladosporium, Aureobasidium, Antennariella, Limacinula, Scorias, and Capnodium. |