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Clay Aiken's Birth Flower At Risk From Serious DiseaseCopyright © 2006-2009 Wesley Berry, AAFPeople born in the November, like Clay Aiken, share the chrysanthemum as their birth flower. It's a gorgeous flower from the daisy family that's often seen in fall flower arrangements and beds. It's frequently seen in autumn colors like gold, yellow, and rust. They're a pleasure to look at, but one thing people in the floral industry don't want to see is chrysanthemum white rust (CWR), a disease that's deadly to the flowers. CWR is caused by a fungus that quickly spreads throughout a crop of flowers. It is evidenced by pustules appearing on the leaves of the plants that are white or yellow in color. The pustules develop on the topside of the leaves and are about 4 cm in diameter. As time passes, the spots will turn brown. More pustules form on the underside of the leaves as well, but these are buff-colored or pink, turning white as they age. Unfortunately, the disease isn't always readily apparent. It takes about eight weeks for symptoms to first appear on infected chrysanthemums. When the weather is hot and dry, infected chrysanthemums are less likely to have pustules, but they will appear when the weather turns cooler and wetter. And, if fungicides are used, they may suppress the appearance without destroying the disease. There are two types of spores responsible for the spread of CWR: teliospores and basidiospores. Teliospores are made on the pustule and will remain there unless they are firmly brushed off. But, teliospores create basidiospores, which are much more easily spread. Basidiospores need only a splash of water to become active, and may infect plants in as little as two hours. They may also be born on the wind for short distances. The disease began in Asia, but has since spread to Europe, Africa, Australia, Central America, and South America. There have been some instances of the disease in the U.S. and Canada as well, but they've been quickly eradicated, so the disease hasn't taken root yet. However, the U.S. has taken measures to ensure CWR isn't given a chance to establish itself. The U.S. government recently asked that the Ecuadorian government implement an inspection program for all chrysanthemums that are scheduled for shipment into the United States. Under this official request, all plants must be certified CWR-free prior to shipment. Such actions are great news to anyone who enjoys the beauty of chrysanthemums. It's important that we protect our own U.S. grown plants from such serious diseases so that we can continue to enjoy them for many years to come. After all, what a shame it would be for November-born people like Clay Aiken to have their birth flower changed to something much less pleasant-like stink weed! About The Author:
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