As Nick Wightman says, Gladiolus dalenii is very often mottled, but this is a natural coloration and not to be confused with the viral symptoms seen in the plant in question (in my opinion a quite advanced hybrid some distance removed from G. dalenii). In this blocks of tissue between veins become more heavily pigmented than in the rest of the segment. I am no virologist and have no idea of the type of virus involved, but the symptoms exhibited by this specimen are identical to those one can find in infected Crocus and Iris. John Grimshaw -----Original Message----- From: pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Nicholas Wightman Sent: 15 October 2012 20:54 To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org Subject: Re: [pbs] Gladiolus dalenii hybrid Why can't there be a genetic component to the streaking? The Gladiolus dalenii subsp. dalenii plants that I have on my property in Zambia display quite a variation in streaking with some pure lemon yellow forms to some heavily streaked so that the flowers appear orange or reddish from a distance. There's also a few that have a different flowering time as most come up and bloom by early to mid December but another form (with stronger stalks and broader leaves) that waits until around February to bloom. http://flickr.com/photos/88670104@N05/… Cheers, Nick > From: totototo@telus.net > To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2012 12:03:04 -0700 > Subject: Re: [pbs] Gladiolus dalenii hybrid > > On 15 Oct 2012, at 12:33, Hans-Werner Hammen wrote: > > > I read some suggestion, this Gadiolus be infected by Virus. > > Allthough many plants might carry Viruses latently, the color > > pattern does NOT indicate Mosaic-Virus. The typical SHARP > > transitions of Mosaic, are absent. The fliowers of your Gladiolus > > are beautiful, and there is actually some sophisticated Gladiolus > > Hybrids, that show this beautiful kind of dark streaks. Who ever is > > fast, to conclude Mosaic, Look for Gladiolus grandiflora 'Passos'rather than implanting frustration, into other people's Heart. > > No one said it was a *mosaic* virus. > > I wrote "The streaking on the petals looks suspiciously like a virus infection." > > Alberto Castillo wrote "Looks like a heavily virused Gladiolus garnieri." > > Janos Agoston wrote "I think it is some virus." > > You will note that all three of us pointed to virus infection as a > possibility, not an established fact, in this case. > > A reminder too that the beautiful flaming and streaking of parrot > tulips is due to "Tulip Breaking Virus". I wonder if, like parrot > tulips, those "sophisticated gladiolus hybrids that show this beautiful kind of dark streaks" > of which you write owe their beauty to a virus infection. After all > the widespread occurence of this gladiolus in northern Italy is prima > facie evidence that the putative virus does not weaken this species of gladiolus. > > It would be irresponsible for those of us who responded to have > remained silent, even if we had to bear potentially bad news. Wouldn't > the OP have been even more frustrated if he brought this gladiolus > into his garden and as a result lost his more delicate species to it? > > > -- > Rodger Whitlock > Victoria, British Columbia, Canada > Z. 7-8, cool Mediterranean climate > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com/ Version: 2012.0.2221 / Virus Database: 2441/5333 - Release Date: 10/15/12