Abstract
Variants of avocado sunblotch viroid (ASBVd) of between 247 and 250 nucleotides in length have been recovered from diseased avocado tissues. The sunblotch syndrome covers a complex pattern of disease symptoms which are associated with infection by variants of ASBVd. The viroid species are designated ASBVd-B, ASBVd-V and ASBVd-Sc from their association with bleached, variegated or symptomless carrier tissues respectively. Host-viroid interactions and structural relationships among the variants suggest a transition in sunblotch disease from a severe acute to a persistent mild form of infection.