Phytophthora (from Greek phytón, “plant” and phthorá, “destruction”; “the plant-destroyer”)'s a genus of plant-damaging Protists of the Oomycetes (water molds). Heinrich Anton de Bary described it for the first time in 1875. Pathogens Phytophthoras are mostly pathogens of dicotyledons, and are relatively host-specific parasites. Many species of Phytophthora are plant pathogens of considerable economic importance. Phytophthora infestans was the infec… (More on Phytophthora)