Puckering

This above here shows the puckering on 'Albomarginata'. Certainly I expect to see a bit of puckering, but not quite this extensive.

And below we have the puckered 'Patriot'. In addition to the puckering there is also some exaggerated cupping and the puckering actually extends almost all the way into the petiole it seems. There is also an marked difference in the edge/variegation colour intensity, it's much more creamy than just 2 days before these pictures were taken. Three days later there would not appear to have been any significant change here.

This is the Patriot, above. As you can see, the leaves are very puckered and also somewhat twisted and contorted. I has been suggested this severe puckering and distortion is caused by cool temperatures, but I'm not clear if that is when they begin to unfurl or when they begin to nose up. And I'm still confused by that since all three pots were in the same area and would have been subjected to the same temperatures. The 'S&S' never showed any of this puckering, very strange. Guess we'll see in 2008 what happens next.

In this group shot below you can readily tell the difference between the 'Albomarginata' and 'Patriot' on the one hand and the 'Sum & Substance' on the other. Yes, the 'S & S' is getting too big for the corner it's crammed in. Not bad though when you consider that 4 years ago this was a measly single-leaved plant trying to survive.

In 2008 the Patriot came back up with the same intense puckering and that really was becoming more than just coincidence, there had to be an underlying reason other than cold damage. And sure enough, once I started to examine the leaves closely it became clear quite quickly that my worst fears have been realized: HVX.