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Occurrence of Passiflora Latent Carlavirus in Cultivated and Wild Passiflora Species in Australia

A carlavirus was found to be widespread in commercial passionfruit (Passiflora edulis) plantings in New South Wales and Queensland. The particles observed were flexuous rods with mean dimensions of 651 × 12 nm. The particles often occurred in cells as aggregates but were never associated with pinwheel inclusion bodies, as is typical with passionfruit woodiness potyvirus. The particles showed a strong affinity (by immunoelectron microscopy) for antiserum prepared against Passiflora latent carlavirus (PLV) from Germany but increasingly less affinity for antisera against potato viruses S and M and PLV from the United States. Survey results indicated that PLV has been present in Australian passionfruit for more than 10 years and is widespread in most commercial cultivars in New South Wales and Queensland. The virus was twice found in wild Passiflora suberosa, once in wild P. subpeltata, and once in a feral seedling of P. edulis near an infected planting of P. edulis.