Galanthus nivalis "Chuguyster"

[Armin]

I risk to be the dog in the manger. But...
... looking on this poor mutation reminds me the Chernobyl nuclear disaster that occurred 25 years ago on 26 April 1986...  
I'm sorry.

[Oakwood]

I risk to be the dog in the manger. But...
... looking on this poor mutation reminds me the Chernobyl nuclear disaster that occurred 25 years ago on 26 April 1986...  
I'm sorry.

бу-га-га-га-га          

[Oakwood]

PHYTOPLASMOS - phyllody-like snowdrop enigma is resolved        I DO think the mentioned below is actual to all spiky-type or green-petal snowdrop cultivars (also to Tulips and Trilliums), so, please, be carefull with them - it is transmissible disease!

Symptoms (c) from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoplasma

"A common symptom caused by phytoplasma infection is phyllody, the production of leaf-like structures in place of flowers. Evidence suggests that the phytoplasma downregulates a gene involved in petal formation (AP3 and its orthologues) and genes involved in the maintenance of the apical meristem (Wus and CLV1). Other symptoms, such as the yellowing of leaves, are thought to be caused by the phytoplasma's presence in the phloem, affecting its function and changing the transport of carbohydrates.

Phytoplasma infected plants may also suffer from virescence, the development of green flowers due to the loss of pigment in the petal cells. Sometimes sterility of the flowers is also seen.

Many phytoplasma infected plants gain a bushy or witch's broom appearance due to changes in normal growth patterns caused by the infection. Most plants show apical dominance, but phytoplasma infection can cause the proliferation of auxiliary (side) shoots and an increase in size of the internodes. Such symptoms are actually useful in the commercial production of poinsettia. The infection produces more axillary shoots, which enables production of poinsettia plants that have more than one flower.

Transmission/Movement between plants

The phytoplasmas are mainly spread by insects of the families Cicadellidea (leafhoppers), Fulgoridea (planthoppers) and Psyllidae (jumping plant lice), which feed on the phloem tissues of infected plants, picking up the phytoplasmas and transmitting them to the next plant they feed on. For this reason the host range of phytoplasmas is strongly dependent upon its insect vector. Phytoplasmas contain a major antigenic protein that makes up the majority of their cell surface proteins. This protein has been shown to interact with insect microfilament complexes and is believed to be the determining factor in insect-phytoplasma interaction. Phytoplasmas may overwinter in insect vectors or perennial plants. Phytoplasmas can have varying effects on their insect hosts; examples of both reduced and increased fitness have been seen.

Phytoplasmas enter the insect's body through the stylet, move through the intestine, and are then absorbed into the haemolymph. From here they proceed to colonise the salivary glands, a process that can take up to three weeks. Once established, phytoplasmas will be found in most major organs of an infected insect host. The time between being taken up by the insect and reaching an infectious titre in the salivary glands is called the latency period. Phytoplasmas can also be spread via dodders cascutaceae or vegetative propagation such as the grafting of a piece of infected plant onto a healthy plant.

Movement within plants

Phytoplasmas are able to move within the phloem from source to sink, and they are able to pass through sieve tube elements. But since they spread more slowly than solutes, for this and other reasons, movement by passive translocation is not supported ".

So, bye-bye, my lovely Chugayster - you're terminally incurable and contagious......  

[Brian Ellis]

How sad

[cycnich]

There is a god after all.

[loes]

Dima,
You have thrown it away?

[Oakwood]

Dima,
You have thrown it away?

Yeep 

[Gerard Oud]

At what time they do collect, please get it out of the bin i can cure it!

[Oakwood]

At what time they do collect, please get it out of the bin i can cure it!

Gerard! THIS ONE GUY is fully incurable!!!  it is bacterial disease that could spread and infect all other your drops then they all will become similar to this one))) you could see the same phytoplasmos on fall-blooming Colchicum umbrosum from Crimea pictured this spring (defective flowering in spring!) in Crimea by Vladimir Savchuk.

[Gerard Oud]

Just boiling the bulbs for 2 1/2 hour at a steady 42,5 'celsius and a 0,5% formaline solution. After boiling the bulbs treat them with SiO2 desinfection and SiO2 universel!
It works very well against bacterial diseases!
Its a pity you have thrown it away, i could have cured it but it would probably not have shown the same flower next year

[Maggi Young]

But Gerard, if the "cure" for bacterial infections worked, then of course the flower would not be the same, because it was diseased inthe first place! 
There are mopre than enough plant diseases going around without encouraging more inthe shape of deformed specimens, surely, even for the galanthophiles? 

[Anthony Darby]

Does this mean the likes of 'Blewbury Tart' are similarly infected?

[Gerard Oud]

But Gerard, if the "cure" for bacterial infections worked, then of course the flower would not be the same, because it was diseased inthe first place! 
There are mopre than enough plant diseases going around without encouraging more inthe shape of deformed specimens, surely, even for the galanthophiles? 

We would have known if i had had the chance. Lots of plants/bulbs are infected with several diseases/virus Maggi! Those who know it from we  dont want to get it out because it loses its special colour/combination or shape.

[Oakwood]

Does this mean the likes of 'Blewbury Tart' are similarly infected?

No, Anthony, I hardly believe Blewbury Tart could be infected with phytoplasma, it is just double form, BUT who knows? Any case the precise analysis must be done, like PCR and cytostaining of infected plant organ cross-sections.....

[Oakwood]

Gerard 

it would be great to enjoy such "special color", if these infected plants wouldn't be the potential source of contamination for other healthy plants via insect vectors.....  making all infected plants similar like these ones drop and colchicum on pictures above...