What's caused this?

metalfish · #1 (**permalink**) 21-05-2009, 03:19 PM

This sycamore sapling had some healthy leaves and some pure white or white patched leaves. All the surrounding plantlife was perfectly healthy so I don't think it's chemical spray thats done it. The sapling itself looked healthy too, no wilting or anything.

Any ideas on whats happened and has any one else seen this on other species?

metalfish · #2 (**permalink**) 21-05-2009, 03:21 PM

Helps if I put the photos in doesn't it !!

KeenTeen17 · #3 (**permalink**) 21-05-2009, 04:04 PM

It could be a Leaf Miner Caterpillar or it could be a Fungal Plant Parasite. I'm not sure

poschiavanus · #4 (**permalink**) 25-05-2009, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KeenTeen17

It could be a Leaf Miner Caterpillar or it could be a Fungal Plant Parasite. I'm not sure

Neither of these.

I think, and this is wild speculation, that the patterning is caused by some genetic change in some of the cells which develop to form the leaf. There are large unicoloured patches, which suggests these may all be the clonal offspring of one of the cells set aside early on to build the leaf. The variegated patches would be intermingling of cells with different genetic constitutions.

I don't know what might have caused the genetic change: perhaps something like a viral infection, or even a mutation.

This type of thing is referred to as chimaerism (after some half-lion half-goat creature in Greek mythology). A quick google finds the following page on Wikipedia, which I'm now going to read before digging myself in any deeper.

Posch