Large White Trillium (Trillium Grandiflorum) infected with Peach-X Disease (Phytoplasma Pruni)
Harms Woods - Glenview, IL - May 6th 2024
Here is the observation for the Phytoplasma
AHHH Y'all have no idea just how excited I've been to get to this point in my photo log. People who know me IRL know that I am absolutely obsessed with Phytoplasma infections in Trillium Grandiflorum.
Trillium Grandiflorum is a plant Native to the Eastern United States and Canada. I will port one of my observations of a healthy individual of this species tomorrow but they are typically identifiable for have 3 leaves and 3 petals. The petals are typically white or pink as they both sometimes bloom pink and others turn pink as they age. It is Ohio's state wildflower and Ontario's official flower.
Phytoplasmas are types of bacteria that can infect different plants. Different plants behave differently to phytoplasma infections and phytoplasma was initially viewed as mycoplasma or mycoplasma like. In Trillium when infected with phytoplasma the infection will cause abnormal development, this is most often seen in greening in the petals but can also cause additional petals and/or additional leaves. This individual in particular is quite unique and eye catching, this was my second year in a row seeing it and I am excited for the Trillium to bloom this year again so I can try and find it. This individual has 12 petals (although still only 3 leaves) and the petals are almost entirely green. It is also far far smaller then the majority of healthy individuals you would find.
The most fascinating thing of all for me regarding phytoplasma infections in T. Grandiflorum is the almost comical concentration of infections in the Toronto area in particular. I would personally assume that a map of the range and concentration of infected individuals would be analogous to a map of the range and concentration of healthy individuals but instead that is not the case.
Here is a map of the distribution of observations containing infected T. Grandiflorum
and here is a map of the distribution of observations of T. Grandiflorum.
While infected individuals are found elsewhere they appear to be at the most concentrated density in Toronto and I think that is absolutely fascinating.
