Picris echioides L. (Cichoriaceae) — Reservoir of Lettuce Mosaic Virus

Na području srednje Dalmacije (Split i okolica) zapaženi su na cirkummediteranskoj ruderalnoj i korovnoj biljci P. echioides izraziti virusni simptomi. Virozni primjerci te samonikle biljke nađeni su na njezinom prirodnom staništu, tj. na zapuštenim i napuštenim područjima i travnatim površinama. Izdvojeni virus, identificiran na osnovi reakcije pokusnih biljaka, vrlo karakterističnih submikroskopskih virusnih inkluzija i seroloških svojstava, pripada tipičnim, odnosno običnim izolatima virusa mozaika salate (VMS). Isti je soj virusa nađen i u salati na tom području. Budući da je iz vrste P. echioides izdvojen VMS i u SAD u Kaliforniji (Z i nk, D uf f u s, Kimble, J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 98, 1973, 41—45), to nema dvojbe da je ta samonikla trajnica nadaleko rasprostranjena kao rezervoar i dodatni izvor VkJS u prirodi.In the coastal region of central Dalmatia (Split and surroundings) circummediterranean ruderal and weed plant, bristly oxtongue, P. echioides, with conspicuous virus symptoms was noticed. The infected plants were common in noncultivated areas and grass-plots where P. echioides grows naturally. The causal virus, identified on the basis of host range reaction, characteristic cylindrical virus inclusions and serological properties, belongs to the typical or common isolates of lettuce mosaic virus (LMV). In addition, the same isolate of LMV was found in the lettuce plantation in the vicinity of infected P. echioides plants. Since LMV was isolated from P. echioides earlier in California, USA (Zink, Duff us, Kimble, J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 98, 1973, 41—45), there is no doubt that this perennial wild host is widespread as a reservoir and additional source of the virus in nature