it demonstrates a complicated relationship with strawberry host "fragaria ananassa", in which the fungus may cause lesions and small necrotic, light-brown spots in leaves and petioles which increase as the disease progresses, adversely affecting strawberry crop. eventually the necrotic regions expand and cause the plant to wilt, but crown rot is not observed at any stage of the infection. although it appears to have a parasitic relationship with "fragaria ananassa", it also produces an elicitor protein, ases, which provides systemic protection against anthracnose disease in strawberry host "fragaria ananassa", which shows a symbiotic relationship between the strawberry plant and "acremonium strictum".