Phyllody of white clover

Phyllody is the abnormal development of parts of the flowers of various plants as leaves, often with considerable distortion of the bloom.

Some of the white clover, Trifolium pratense, in the window box has developed in this way.

The condition is caused by a mycoplasma, a kind of virus, said to be transmitted by plant hoppers such as Aphrodes bicinctus.

 

I do rather wonder if my earlier discovery of four-leaved and five-leaved clovers in WBX may have been due to this condition.