Ringspot Virus?

[Claire25]

This doesn't look good. The pics are of two leaves from my Maumeneara Queen Adelia 'Kiilani'. I noticed the big spot on the leaf in the first pic a month ago...was surprised to see all the new spots today. Seems kind of like a repeating pattern, doesn't it? It did bloom with multiple spikes this summer, and there was nothing wrong with any of the flowers...but I'm thinking it's possibly virused.

Claire

[glengary54]

Claire - I'm not so sure that isn't a fungal infection. Here is a great site that has some incredible photos of virus infected plants and then plants that have issues that are not virus related.

Virus in Orchids Photo Gallery by Admiral Schnitz at pbase.com

[Claire25]

Wow that's very interesting. And I thought my spots were dramatic!

[Merlyn]

There is ONLY one way to tell if it's virused. Test it. You can send a piece of a leaf away to be tested or you can buy home tests from Agdia. They advertise in the AOS magazine "Orchids" or google them. I have been working for 3 years with a person who is fanatic about throwing away his virused orchids and we've seen the nastiest looking orchids come out clean and thrown away LARGE trash cans FULL of what were the healthiest looking plants !! Looks ARE DECEIVING ! In our small OS we have pooled together and bought 25 home test kits for about $5 each. I think the next level was 100 and works out to $4 or $4.50 each.

If you want to know, test it !

[glengary54]

Merlyn - I'm sending her some testing kits in the morning just to be safe.

[Bud]

Merlyn is right, it has to be tested to be sure it is viral. But I hope not! since you said it flowered normally. Virused plants have icky flowers. I hope its just a fungi of some sort that you can phyton away or physan away...I have those black pock marks on my vandas...so does the bananas in the supermarket

[Bud]

I meant so does one or two; not all of the bananas sold in the supermarket

[Eyebabe]

The first thing I would do is cut the diseased leaf off of the plant.
If it is fungal, this is the BEST treatment for the plant.
The disease is NOT that widespread (or so it appears) that you will handicap the plant by removing half of the one leaf and the tip of the other leaving a good margin of healthy tissue.
Use a sterile razorblade and flame any tools and bleach the working surfaces.

Second, I agree 100% with the virus testing.
This is the only way you can be sure.
Any tissue from the plant can be used; you do not need the diseased tissue for testing.

I concur it looks very much like ringspot virus and I hope we are wrong

[glengary54]

Originally Posted by Bud

Virused plants have icky flowers.

Bud - Just an FYI, not all virused plant will display "icky" flowers. A virused plant can go years without showing any outward signs of being infected.