The name of this soil bacterium is derived from the carrot, the vegetable from which it was first isolated, but it afflicts many other vegetables such as potatoes, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and even some ornamental plants. When the crops are infected either in the field or in storage, their tissues become soft and watery then turn slimy and foul-smelling. Blackleg, aerial stem rot, and tuber soft rot are caused by two closely related bacteria, E. carotovora subsp. atroseptica and E. carotovora subsp. carotovora. (Enhanced SEM, microscope magnification 16,670x, image width: 7.8 micrometers, bar: 2 micrometers)