OUCH! Can you save a leaf or 2 from each?

Put everything on quite dry watering schedule! Especially the neighbor plants - change to bottom watering to prevent the spread of the disease.

Happens. And every so often - you get the especially virulent strain - when the plants expire in front of you in no time. Take leaves from your most valuable ones, wash them in alcohol - and put them down. Sometimes you lose the varieties that are impossible to replace...

Thanks Irinia ... unfortunately the (2) affected plants were kaput by the time I looked at them (leaves and all). Fortunately, they were duplicates.

I will heed your advice regarding the neighboring plants ...

In my experience the disease will eventually run its course. Keep plants on a dry side, ideally put them on saucers and do not let them touch. This way you limit the spreading of the fungus. Watch your plants - if you see the plant weakening, leaves are losing shine - take the leaf or a crown if it is still possible - and chuck the rest. Sometimes you look at the suspicious plant and try to lightly pull it by a leaf - if it is loose in the pot - the roots are rotting. Work with one plant at a time on a sheet of a newspaper, replace a newspaper each time. Dip the tools in alcohol, wash hands with soap between the plants - gloves help. You take the leaf - dip it in alcohol solution - recut it with a freshly dipped blade. You will lose some - but this way - you will minimize total loss.

Is this Phytophthera? Unsure of the spelling.

There more than one fungus - and probably a bacterial rot as well - can be Phytophthora, Pythium, Rhizoctonia...

Problem - there is no way to save an already sick plant, prevention is a good culture - including not too cold, not too hot and not too wet. Old time growers used some systemic fungicides they mixed with soil - now all these chemicals are strictly prohibited from use - because they are comparable with the chemical warfare agents by their efiiciency.

Having spare plants, leaves put down - is a good insurance - plus young vigorous plants are usually less susceptible than oder tired ones.

Usually the outbreaks happen in a cold time - or in a amiddle of the summer when heat is weakening the plants.