First Report of Fusarium equiseti causing Brown Leaf Spot of Fishtail Palm (Caryota mitis) in Pakistan M. Ashfaq, Mubarak A. Anjum, R. Hafeez, A. Ali Muhammad S. Haider, M. Ali, Muhammad B. Chattha, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab, Quaid-e- Azam Campus, Lahore, Pakistan; Sajid R. Ahmad, College for Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan ; F. Ahmad, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore, Pakistan; F. Khan, Department of Botany, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Pakistan; and M. Sajjad, Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Vehari 61100, Pakistan Fishtail palm (Caryota mitis L.) is a unique looking palm because of its leaf design. The leaves are bi-pinnate and shaped like a tail of fish, making this tree favorite for landscaping. In September 2015, brown necrotic spots (round to oval shaped, with white margins) (20.1 to 25.0 mm in diameter) were observed on leaves of fishtail palm, in the Pattoki Dist., Kasur, Punjab, Pakistan (31.10 deg. N, 73.51 deg. E). Many plants throughout the city were affected, particularly their lower leaves. A total of 20 symptomatic leaves from five locations were collected, washed and cut into small pieces (3 × 2 mm), surface-sterilized with 1% sodium hypochlorite solution for 1 min, and cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA). Seven days after incubation, all the three fungal colonies appeared as dense, white aerial mycelium becoming brown with age, covering the PDA medium. Macroconidia were abundant, 17.1 to 43.9 × 2.4 to 2.9 μm, relatively slender, curved to lunate, and 5-7 septate. Apical cells were tapered to elongate and basal cells were foot shaped. Microconidia were absent. Chlamydospores were in chains. Based on morphological characteristics, the pathogen was identified as Fusarium equiseti (Leslie and Summerell 2006). A pure culture of pathogen was deposited at First Fungal Culture Page 1 of 2 Plant Disease "First Look" paper • http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-11-16-1585-PDN • posted 01/09/2017 This paper has been peer reviewed and accepted for publication but has not yet been copyedited or proofread. The final published version may differ.