Sorry, before you read all of below, I am looking to identify the fungus. I need know what I'm dealing with. I can then do more research on the pathogen.

I'm sending this out to various growers as well.

Sorry it's long. I just wanted to give you the full picture.

Most of my Kleinia petraea (Senecio jacobsenii) have started rotting at the tip, as well deformed leaves & fungus spots & outside in fungus affected areas. I know in the close up picture it appears to have crown rot. This is very young plant, so the growth is still near the bottom. but you can see from the other picture it starts at the tips. You can see the oldest part of the disease has already scabbed over. Its the worst affected plant of them all. It's one of the youngest, so weak. It must of had the disease when I took the cutting few weeks ago. If I remember correctly I pinched off what I could see at the time (without glasses or a camera). I just looked at the plants in natural light and they did not look too bad, but once you see the large pictures it's very obvious, I have a bad problem.

I have about 10 plants total, 7 young & three mature. Each of the 7 have 2 cuttings in their 2" pots. The plants have been in two locations. The ones that closer to a sell able size were dormant (kept dry in unheated room w/window cracked open). As well as the 3 larger ones most of the cuttings were taken from.

I have after Xmas garden centre orders to fill. All plants ready for the orders were brought out of dormancy just last week for final inspection and any needed final growth. Last night I was checking them over, when I noticed the black tips on all of them, even the ones still in the grow area. Most of the deformed leaves are on new growth.

The older three plants seem to be the least affected. At least one has had the odd distorted leaves, but many things can cause that. They also have the spots, but none of them are showing tip rot.

The odor from the ends I cut are strong, not an odor I remember from previous cuttings.

I use Natria biological spray as a preventative spray at least once a month. (FYI for you Americans, we only have one Natria. Not an entire line of products. Previous to Bayer it was called Serenade) I have had very good luck with it as a treatment for black spot & powderly mildew, if used once to twice a week.

Bayer advertises to farmers to use in rotation with a chemical spray. I sprayed Natria last week, so I will spray these plants with Immunox (not available in Canada) this week. I've got nothing to lose. The plants have been isolated, but by now the spores will be everywhere. I did sterilize all tools, as well as everything else I had touched.

If the treatment works, I will repot after washing all the soil off & treat the roots as well, before new pots & soil. Even if it all works, I cant see myself selling them for many months.

I will also spray all the plants ready for deliver in 2 weeks. I hate using sprays, but I will feel worse if I dont before I sell them.

I'm the saddest for the poor colony mycorrhizae. Those poor little guys. I already do a follow up inoculation prior to delivery. I want the new owner to have the best chance at success.

The main point is to know the pathogen name to do research, ie are there any carriers of the disease? My worst nightmare is having to destroy everything.

It has a sad heart. :(

(I do have an 11th plant. One young plant the new growth has no symptoms. I removed him to a separate area. Obviously will have to be treated with all hope he will never show any signs)