There are two different type of anthracnose fungi on dogwoods. One type is an undescribed species of a Discula fungus. The other, more deadly, fungus is called Discula destructiva. Left - Discula destructiva, a fungus believed to cause anthracnose. Right - an undescribed species of Discula which also causes anthracnose.
Plants are able to survive because they contain chlorophyll to make food.
Once the fungus is on the dogwood tree, it releases a substance that breaks down the complex structure of dogwoods into something the fungus can absorb and use for growth, energy, and reproduction. The fungus also releases toxins that kill the leaves of the tree, can spread into the stem to infect new limbs and can cause cankers. Researchers can remove a sample of the fungus from the tree. The photos above show the difference between the fungi. You have probably heard about the use of DNA to identify both victims and criminals.