A virus consisting of filamentous flexuous rods, 730-750 nm long, was isolated from peanut plants (Arachis hypogaea) showing distinct mottle, yellow ring mottle, chlorotic spot, chlorotic ring symptoms in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The virus was readily transmissible by sap inoculation, and by aphid in a non-persistent manner, but not through seeds of peanut. The virus infected 16 plant species of six families, and produced chlorotic local lesions on inoculated leaves of Chenopodium amaranticolor. Longevity of the virus in vitro was 14-21 days at 20°C, a thermal inactivation point 55-60°C, and a dilution end point 10^-4-10^-5. Pinwheel or bundle type inclusion bodies were observed in cytoplasm of infected leaf tissue. The virus showed very distant serological relationship with peanut mottle virus from Thailand and Japan, and positive reaction to blackeye cowpea mosaic virus, bean common mosaic virus and soybean mosaic virus. Since the virus differs in host range, symptomatology, transmission characteristics and serology from other potyviruses reported occurring on peanut, the virus was designated as a peanut chlorotic ring mottle virus.