Plum pox Plum pox Plum pox, also known as sharka, is the most devastating viral disease of stone fruit from the genus "Prunus". The disease is caused by the plum pox virus (PPV), and the different strains may infect a variety of stone fruit species including peaches, apricots, plums, nectarine, almonds, and sweet and tart cherries. Wild and ornamental species of "Prunus" may also become infected by some strains of the virus. The virus is transmitted by aphids and by the transfer of infected plant material to new locations. Plum pox poses no danger to consumers, but it can ruin the marketability
Date-plum genus. Its English name probably derives from Persian "Khormaloo" خرمالو literally "date-plum", referring to the taste of this fruit which is reminiscent of both plums and dates. This species is one candidate for the "lotus tree" mentioned in "The Odyssey": it was so delicious that those who ate it forgot about returning home and wanted to stay and eat lotus with the lotus-eaters. The tree grows in the lower and middle mountain zones in the Caucasus. They usually grow up to 600 m above sea level. In Central Asia, it rises higher—up to 2000 m. They rarely grow in stands