What causes this?

[timbernut]

Hi, while looking at a ride widening job yesterday I found this hazel stool and also a large hornbeam stool with this leaf variegation, they were about 200m apart and was wondering what caused it? Thanks

 

 

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[Graham]

Variegation can be caused by a few things inc. virus, cell mutation etc.

 

Because yours show the same symptoms on two different spp then I would think it is not variegation.

 

It is more likely to be mineral deficiency that's caused by: a) lack of that nutrient in the soil or b) nutrients being locked in the soil and unavailable for uptake.

 

Road salt in small amounts can lock nutrients and this may be the case here.

[timbernut]

It's a good half mile from any road and well within a good sized (30h) woodland, surrounded by same species stools, also oak, ash, birch and field maple and we cleared it of conifers about 10yrs ago. Most likely a virus then?

 

 

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[Graham]

Could be or a mutation in the meristem which is at the edge of developing tissue. At this point I can no longer remember much from college so that's about it from me

[Stubby]

In tomatoes its potassium deficiency but obviously I cant be sure in this case . Looks like " normal " variegation ...

[Christopher Schroeter]

Chlorosis? Like Stubby says it could be potassium deficiency as that causes yellowing at the leaf margins first.

[Christopher Schroeter]

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=772

[Graham]

There's no deficiency there. Further research would seem to confirm what I thought only far better able to explain.

 

It's fairly common. http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Horticulture/Geneve/teaching/plantpropwebpages/geneticselection/geneticchimera.pdf

[timbernut]

Thanks for your replies. Graham, I just got a blank page when I opened your link.

Stubby I don't think it's potassium deficiency as the hornbeam in particular has lots of brethren in close proximity and I'd expect to see the same thing on at least some of them. Incidentally the entire hornbeam is leaved like this (I clambered up it this morning)

 

 

 

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[Graham]

Sorry about the blank page.

 

The variegation is too well defined for deficiency. Try googling chimaera variegation which is probably what this is.