A putative new member of the family Flexiviridae isolated from Phlomis fructicosa in Epirus (Greece).

Plants with mosaic and yellow flecking of the leaves and occasional bushy growth were observed in several Epirus locations. Mechanical transmission from leaf tissues of symptomatic plants was successful in Nicotiana occidentalis, which reacted with a systemic chlorotic mottling, ringspots, and necrosis. Electron microscopy observations of ultrathin sections, leaf dips, and partially purified preparations from infected N. occidentalis leaves, showed the presence of flexuous virus-like particles with distinct cross banding