[1][2] The name "violet root rot" refers to the dark purple colour of the mycelial mats formed on the infected plants, usually at or below the soil line.

[3][4] The genus was first described in 1885 by French mycologist Narcisse Théophile Patouillard to accommodate a purple, incrusting, terrestrial fungus with helicoid (spiralled), auricularioid (laterally septate) basidia which he considered distinct.

Rhizoctonia was introduced in 1815 by French mycologist Augustin Pyramus de Candolle for plant pathogenic fungi that produce hyphae and sclerotia.

The type species, Rhizoctonia crocorum, was purple and incrusting and later shown to be an anamorphic form of Helicobasidium in a series of observations and innoculation trials conducted in part by Kew mycologist Elsie Wakefield.

Molecular research, based on cladistic analysis of DNA sequences, has shown that all of three states - basidial, sclerotial, and conidial - are forms of the same genus of fungi.

[8] Helicobasidium sensu stricto appears to be confined to a group of purple plant and rust pathogens whose taxonomy is currently unclear.

Infected soil may be identified by the conspicuous nature of the webbed mycelium, which transitions from white to dark violet over the growing season.

Resistant varieties can be an effective method to stifle disease progress, as well as early maturing annual crops which avoid infection altogether.

[3] The fungus requires ample moisture, warm soil temperatures (20-30 °C) and low pH to thrive, drip irrigation and regular lime applications can serve to reduce the fungal presence.