Isolates of both the type and coast strains of cassava latent virus (CLV) were inoculated mechanically to the mosaic-sensitive cassava [Manihot esculenta] cultivar N Mex 55, in which they reduced symptoms typical of African cassava mosaic disease. CLV was recovered from these infected plants by standard sap-transmission inoculations to Nicotiana benthamiana and gemini particles were subsequently detected in leaf-dip preparations of them, indicating this virus is in fact the causal agent of mosaic disease. Transmission rates were low (4/20 and 10/50 for CLV-C and CLV-T, respectively) when partially purified virus preparations from infected N. benthamiana were used as inocula but were comparatively high (11/26) when partially purified preparations of CLV-C from mosaic-affected cassava were used. Apparently, the name cassava latent virus is no longer valid and the pathogen should be referred to as cassava mosaic virus.