Abstract
1. The viruses, LSV, TBV-L, and CMV were made in the scale-segments of Lilium X 'Enchantment' by both a dot immunobinding assay (DIBA) and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The sensitivity of DIBA to detect viruses is about 10 to 100 times lower than that of ELISA, but it is an easy, reliable method to detect these viruses in routine surveys. 2. Absorbance values of LSV in leaves which were collected from the lower, middle, and upper parts of stem, perianths, and bracts were determined at 405 nm by ELISA. The most reliable value was obtained from the basal parts of leaves, located on the upper part of the stem. Based on this result, the absorbance of leaves collected at various times during the growth period was determined. The LSV level in the leaves increased gradually toward anthesis. Whereas the leaves excised from the upper part of the stem had a higher concentration of LSV than had those of the lower part in L. X 'Enchantment' and L. X 'Star Gazer', the reverse trend was found in L. formosanum. 3. Individual plants (550) of 18 Lilium spp. growing in the field were examined for three viruses by DIBA. Leaves of test plants were collected from the upper part of stems at anthesis and their basal parts were analyzed for three viruses. One or more viruses were detected in 73% of the 550 plants investigated. The frequency of LSV, TBV-L, and CMV occurring alone in the population was 52, 2, and 1%, respectively ; the remaining 18% was infected with two or three viruses. More than 80% of the plants in 10 Lilium spp. were infected with one or more viruses. 4. Lilium spp. infected with LSV were nearly symptomless. Plants of L. rubellum with the leaves which develop green stripe mosaic were infected with LSV and TBV-L. Stem elongation of plants of 'Casablanca', 'Hinomoto', 'Enchantment', and 'Star Gazer' multiple-infected with LSV and TBV-L or CMV was retarded compared with stem elongation of the same cultivars infected with LSV alone.
