Susceptibility of Lilacs to Mycoplasmalike Organisms
The cause of lilac witches'-broom has been identified as a mycoplasmalike organism (MLO). From field symptoms and the detection of MLO in the phloem by fluorescence microscopy, Syringa vulgaris cultivars were identified as susceptible but more tolerant of infection than non-vulgaris lilacs. The MLO were graft-transmissible but not seed-transmissible. Mycoplasmal infection has been identified in the following lilac species and hybrids: S. × diversifolia, S. × henryi, S. henryi × tomentella, S. × josiflexa, S. josikaea, S. julianae, S. komarowii, S. laciniata, S. meyeri, S. microphylla, S. × nanceiana, S. oblata var. dilatata, S. × persica, S. × prestoniae, S. sweginzowii, S. villosa, S. villosa × sweginzowii, S. vulgaris, and S. yunnanensis.Abstract
Contributor Notes
Research supported by grants from the International Lilac Society. The technical assistance of Alice Jacot McArdle is gratefully acknowledged. We thank J. T. Walker and J. H. Alexander for helpful suggestions in the preparation of this report.
2Research Plant Pathologist and Research Assistant, resp.