Identification of a Virus Causing a Mosaic on Coleus

Abstract

Viruslike symptoms of mosaic, oak-leaf line patterns, ring spots, and color fading were observed on landscape plantings of coleus (Coleus scutellarioides «Alabama») and two unidentified coleus cultivars. Stocks of Alabama with similar symptoms were found commonly in a survey of local garden centers and landscape plantings. The suspected virus was transmitted mechanically to cowpea and back to coleus, on which it produced symptoms similar to those originally observed