Virus, viroid, phytoplasm and spiroplasm detected
in ornamental plants from 1992 to 2003.
At the Laboratório de Fitovirologia e Fisiopatologia
(Instituto Biológico), a total of 167 genera of ornamental
plants belonging to 64 families were investigated,
from 1992 to 2003, for the presence of virus, viroid,
phytoplasm and spiroplasm caused diseases. The
diagnosis and identification of the viruses were carried
out by means of biological, serological and molecular
assays as well as electron transmission microscopy.Tospovirus were detected in 104 samples belonging to
15 genera including cut and potted flowers along with
foliage plants; Potyviridae species were present in 23
genera, among which Hyppeastrum, Lilium, Gladiolus
and Dieffenbachia were infected by Potyvirus;
Cucumovirus (Cucumber mosaic virus) and Ilarvirus infected 14 and 5 genera, respectively; Tobamovirus
and Potexvirus, which are the two most frequent
viruses in Brazil, were found in 40.4% of the orchids
which represented 29.3% of the ornamental plants
analised; another 7 genera (Badnavirus, Carlavirus,
Caulimovirus, Furovirus and Nepovirus, Tobravirus,
Tymovirus) and two families (Closteroviridae and Rhabdoviridae) of plant viruses were also detected.
In this period, at least three new virus species were
described in chrysanthemum, petunia and caladium.
Viroid was detected in chrysanthemum, phytoplasm
in lisianthus and spiroplasm in primula.