Association of ’Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia’ with Cosmos bipinnatus phyllody disease in Iran

In 2017 growing season numerous examinations of Cosmos bipinnatus in Hormozgan province, Iran revealed the disease symptoms similar to those associated with phytoplasmas. Phytoplasmas were detected from all symptomatic plants by the specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) utilizing phytoplasma universal primer pairs. Amplification, sequencing and blast analysis of 16S rDNA fragment (ca. 1.2 kb) demonstrated that C. bipinnatus plants were infected by a phytoplasma belonging to the 16SrII group. This is the first report of association of a ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia’-related strain with C. bipinnatus phyllody in Iran.