TAMPA, Fla. - Plant pathologists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) studied nearly 30 palm species to analyze their risk for Thielaviopsis trunk rot.

What we know:

Thielaviopsis trunk rot is caused by a lethal fungus that can infect almost every part of a palm. As a result, this disease can cause palms to suddenly buckle and fall over.

"Usually, it is a really hidden disease," Dr. Braham Dhillon, plant pathologist at the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, told FOX 13. "There are no outward symptoms, and you only see — or only know — once the palm trunk has collapsed. So, it is hard to detect in the landscape."

The backstory:

UF/IFAS researchers tested the leaves of nearly 30 palm species in their lab. The plant path

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