Abstract: To confirm phytoplasma infection，samples of Chinese cherry（Prunus pseudocerasus L.）plants showing phyllody symptom were collected from an orchard in Chongqing，China. By using transmission electron microscope technology，structures resembling phytoplasmal cells，about 200–500 nm，were observed in the phloem sieve elements of symptomatic but not in healthy plant tissues. Total DNAs were extracted from symptomatic and asymptomatic plants for PCR amplification. Specific fragments of 1.4 kb and 1.2 kb in length were amplified from diseased cherry tissue，but not from healthy plant，using universal primers for phytoplasmal 16S rRNA gene and rp gene，respectively. The phytoplasma associated with the disease was designated as Chinese cherry phyllody phytoplasma Chongqing isolate（ChP-CQ）. Sequence analysis indicated that the 16S rRNA gene and rp gene of ChP-CQ shared the highest similarities of 100% and 99.8%，respectively，to those of cherry virescence phytoplasma Sichuan isolate（MF848961）. iPhyClassifier analysis for 16S rRNA gene showed that ChP-CQ has the same restriction enzyme pattern with reference strains of 16SrV-B. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA and rp genes further revealed that ChP-CQ belonged to 16SrV-B subgroup. In conclusion，the phytoplasma associated with Chinese cherry phyllody disease in Chongqing，China was classified as a member of the subgroup B of the elm yellows group（16SrV）.

Key words: Chinese cherry, cherry phyllody disease, phytoplasma, Candidatus phytoplasma ziziphi