Type: Caulicolous Fungi; Description: Ascomata perithecial, scattered or aggregated in groups, immersed, globose, dark brown, 0.1–0.3 mm in diameter, ostiolate; on cankers on living stems and overwintering on fallen leaves. Asci clavate, 45–65 × 8–128m. Ascospores oval to elliptical, 0-septate, 10–16 × 3–6 3m, smooth, hyaline. Conidiomata acervular, immersed, finally partly erumpent, rupturing the epidermis, on necrotic lesions on leaves. Conidia cylindrical to elliptical, 0-septate, 13–25 × 3–7 3m, smooth, hyaline. Only the teleomorph is present on cankered stem tissue and only the anamorph is found on living leaves.

Distribution: Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Wanganui, Wellington.; 1st Record: Spiers & Hopcroft (1993). Earlier records (as Physalospora miyabeana) by Gilmour (1966a) and Dingley (1969) are based on the opinion of both authors that Gnomonia bullata reported on willow by Murray (1926a) was synonymous with Physalospora miyabeana. Spiers & Hopcroft (1993) have pointed out that this synonymy cannot be sustained as the two fungi are quite distinct.

Significance: This fungus is unusual because it causes stem canker but not leaf spotting in some backcross Salix matsudana × alba cultivars; leaf spotting and defoliation but not stem canker in other Salix species and cultivars. Stem cankering in susceptible cultivars leads to death within two years. Leaf spotting does not cause serious damage and the fungus is not considered to be a serious pathogen in New Zealand (Spiers & Hopcroft 1993).; Host(s): on stems: Salix (matsudana × alba) × alba; on leaves: Salix amygdaloides, S. daphnoides, S. gooddingii, S. lasiolepis.