A Brief Historical Account of the Family Closteroviridae.

The history is outlined of the steps that, starting from the establishment of the "taxonomic group Closterovirus," have brought to the erection of the family Closteroviridae, a taxon comprising plant viruses that possess very long helically constructed filamentous particles and a positive-sense single-stranded, monopartite or bipartite RNA genome and are transmitted either by aphids (genus Closterovirus), pseudococcid mealybugs/soft scale insects (genus Vitivirus), or whiteflies (genus Crinivirus) or have no known vector (genus Velarivirus).