Rio Grande disease

noun

ˈrē|(ˌ)ōˈgrand-,

-aand-,

-dē-,

-di- sometimes ˈrī| or |əˈ-

: a disease of lettuce of unknown cause first reported from the Rio Grande valley and causing the older leaves to become reddish especially on the tips while the younger central ones blanch and do not grow to normal size

Word History

Etymology

from the Rio Grande, river in the southwestern U.S.

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