The fungus Colletotrichum orbiculare(Berk. et Mont.) v. Arx (Walker and Nikandrow, unpublished data) was found causing anthracnose on X. spinosum in several locations during a survey in south eastern Australia in 1984 (Nikandrow, Weidemann and Auld, unpublished data). Although usually causing only leaf and stem lesions, a few plants were found occasional ly which had apparently been killed by the fungus. Specific isolates of the fungus were pathogenic to x. spinosum in preliminary tests, producing symptoms of seedling blight and anthracnose on older plants.