Isolation of Tomato Mosaic Virus from Lilac. John D. Castello, Professor, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-CESF), 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210-2788. Craig R. Hibben, and Volker Jacobi. Plant Pathologist, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1000 Washington Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11225; and Graduate Research Assistant, SUNY-CESF. Plant Dis. 76:696-699. Accepted for publication 3 March 1992. Copyright 1992 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-76-0696.

Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) was transmitted to tobacco on three occasions from young leaves without viruslike symptoms (VLS), but not from mature leaves with VLS collected from a Rutilant lilac growing at the Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. The virus also was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in young foliage but not in mature foliage, flowers, or seeds. ToMV also was detected by ELISA in leaves of young rooted Rutilant lilac cuttings, which displayed similar VLS, obtained from the Royal Botanical Garden, Hamilton, Ontario. Based upon host range, symptomatology, and serological tests, the virus was closely related to the dogwood strain of ToMV. The virus was mechanically transmitted to lilac cultivars Lutece and Royalty, in which no symptoms developed, and to white ash, in which foliar mosaic developed.