Disease Note

Nothoscordum bivalve, a Newly Recognized Host of Nothoscordum Mosaic Virus. G. E. Holcomb, Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Agricultural Experiment Station, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70803. Plant Dis. 69:905. Accepted for publication 13 June 1985. Copyright 1985 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-69-905b.

Nothoscordum inodorum (Ait.) Nichols. (= N. fragrans (Venten.) Kunth), a common wild amaryllis family member, is often infected with nothoscordum mosaic virus (NMV) in Louisiana and has been the only known host of this virus. N. bivalve (L.) Britt., a smaller related plant species, is also common in Louisiana but virus-infected plants have not been found previously. Mechanical inoculations with sap from NMV-infected N. inodorum resulted in successful transmission of the virus to N. bivalve. Typical mosaic symptoms developed after 12 days, and the virus was transmitted back to healthy N. inodorum plants. N. bivalve plants with mosaic virus symptoms were recently found growing in mixed populations with NMV-infected N. inodorum. This is only the second host reported for NMV, a member of the potyvirus group.