Re: [aroid-l] variegation causes

From: James Waddick <jwaddick at kc.rr.com> on 2004.03.10 at 18:37:36(11253) I've gotten several emails from potential aroid bidders about the cause of variegation on my ebay listing for Amorphophallus konjac 'Shattered Glass' +More Oxford University has published a variety of reports that report well over 95% of all variegated plants are sectorial chimeras or other genetic mutations. Less than 5 % are due to viral causes and most of these are benign or would be fatal. The most obvious physical characteristic of viral variegation is that the pattern usually consists of isolated spots having fuzzy edges as the infection slowly spread from cell to cell. Clean sectorial variegation appears in large patches, stripes and other patterns and show clean margins and does not spread. Unfortunately most people still haven't gotten these basics into their heads. Michael's Amorphophallus looks obviously to be of genetic origin, probably as a bud sport on a single tuberlet. Jim W. -- Dr. James W. Waddick 8871 NW Brostrom Rd. Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711 USA Ph. 816-746-1949 E-fax 419-781-8594 Zone 5 Record low -23F Summer 100F +

Note: this is a very old post, so no reply function is available.