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cottony rot

noun
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variants: or less commonly cottony mold

Definition of cottony rot

: a fungal disease of various plants caused by a fungus (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) that produces wilt and rot of the stem and often of other parts

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History and Etymology for cottony rot

so called from the fluffy white masses appearing on the rotted tissue

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Cite this Entry

“Cottony rot.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cottony%20rot. Accessed 18 January 2020.

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