Erysiphe abeliana

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Erysiphe abeliana is a powdery mildew fungus in the family Erysiphaceae. It has been found in Europe and North America and mainly affects Abelia x grandiflora, a cultivated hybrid plant. The fungus grows as a powdery coating on the leaves, with its mycelium and fruiting bodies (chasmothecia) typically seen on the upper leaf surface, and sometimes on both sides of the leaf.

This species is highly host-specific and is currently known only to infect cultivated Abelia x grandiflora (a cross between Abelia chinensis and Abelia uniflora). It may also infect one of the parent species, and it likely originated from East Asia. Within the Abelia genus, only one other powdery mildew species is known: Erysiphe abeliae from China. Erysiphe abeliana was described in 2021 by Adrien Bolay and Uwe Braun, based on specimens from France and Switzerland, with the type from Switzerland. The name comes from the host genus Abelia. It is most closely related to Erysiphe abeliicola (a pathogen of Diabelia) and shows morphological similarities to Erysiphe chifengensis (a pathogen of Zabelia).