ISHS Acta Horticulturae 164: VI International Symposium on Virus Diseases of Ornamental Plants
INVESTIGATION OF VIRUS INFECTION OF FREESIA |
| Authors: | M.J. Foxe, U.E. Wilson |
| Abstract:
The freesia cultivars Aurora, Ballerina and Rose Marie exhibited symptoms suggestive of the disease "leaf necrosis" and "severe leaf necrosis". Severe leaf necrosis and flower distortion were observed on Aurora and Ballerina. Milder symptoms of leaf chlorosis and flower mottling were seen on Rose Marie. Flexuous rod-shaped virus particles ranging from 800–850 nm were consistently found in negatively stained leaf extracts of Aurora and Ballerina. These were identified as freesia mosaic virus by serological tests including double diffusion and immunosorbent electron microscopy. Freesia mosaic virus was not found in the cultivar Rose Marie although flexuous rod-shaped virus particles were observed. Phloem-limited inclusions resembling those described for closterovirus were seen in light microscopy. Neither freesia mosaic virus nor the closterovirus was transmitted by sap inoculation. The results suggest that leaf necrosis in Rose Marie is caused by a closterovirus and that severe leaf necrosis in Aurora and Ballerina is caused by double infection with the closterovirus and freesia mosaic virus. | |
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