**3.1 Phenotypic characterization**

When considering PDA cultures, the colonies, with sizes between 26-50 mm diameter, appeared as white, green-greyish and pink colored, depending on the isolate. The reverse side showed green, brown or red-brown color. All of them presented a reddish touch on their edge and abundant colorless exudate which became amber to ochre with the passing of time. The pigment diffused to the medium in some of them. Fructification was observed after 15 days of incubation, though sporulation was scarce and unevenly distributed over the colony surface.

Fig. 3. Growth of *Cercospora kikuchii* on natural substratum (400x)

Fig. 4. *Cercospora kikuchii.* Single conidium (400x)

Similar morphologic structures were observed in the 19 isolates. The direct examination of the injury showed brown pigmented, fasciculated and septate conidiophores (200-300 µm long per 4-5 µm wide), with simpodial growth and conidiogenous cells integrated, terminal or intercalary, with thickened and darkened conidiogenous loci (Figure 3). Single, long, acicular, hyaline, pluriseptate (12 to 26 septa) conidia with truncate bases and subacute apices (170 to 190 µm long per 3 µm wide at the base) were observed (Figure 4) as described by Ellis (1971), Crous & Braun (2003) and Solheim (1929).

Conidia formation process involves internal and external walls of the conidiogenous cells, so when the conidio arises, a scar appears in its origin, on the conidiogenous cell (Cai, 2004; Fernández et al., 1991).
