[Spontaneous hosts of broad bean wilt virus. Communication]

Of 110 plant species, grown from seeds in the vicinity of sources of broad bean wilt virus (BBWV) in 1974, exactly 50% proved to be infected by the mentioned virus within one vegetation period. Obviously 54 of the species are previously unknown hosts of BBWV. They belong to the following 21 families: Amaranthaceae, Boraginaceae, Campanulaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Commelinaceae, Compositae, Cruciferae, Euphorbiaceae, Hydrophyllaceae, Labiatae, Leguminosae, Loasaceae, Papaveraceae, Polemoniaceae, Portulacaceae, Ranunculaceae, Resedaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Solanaceae, and Umbelliferae. Within 6 families, marked by, no spontaneous hosts of BBWV were ascertained before. Only a few of the plant species found to be infected did not show disease symptoms. However, a considerable part of the BBWV hosts were additionally infected by cucumber mosaic virus. BBWV seems to possess a natural host range not very much less than alfalfa mosaic virus. Among monocotyls BBWV seems to have even a larger host range than alfalaf mosaic virus has.