Definition of elm yellows
: a usually fatal disease of North American elms (such as the American elm) that is characterized by yellowish, often black-flecked discoloration and degeneration of the phloem and that results in death of the root system followed by wilting, yellowing, and loss of leaves
Note: Elm yellows is caused by a phytoplasma transmitted by a leafhopper (especially Scaphoideus luteolus).
— called also phloem necrosis
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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The first known use of elm yellows was in 1985
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