The virus is a monopartite strand of positive-sense, single-stranded RNA surrounded by a capsid made from a single viral encoded protein.

It is transmitted by mechanical inoculation, contact between plants and sometimes by seed (6% in Trifolium pratense).

[4] In the western United States and south western Canada it had been found in clover in a mixed infection with another potexvirus, Clover yellow mosaic virus.

[5][6] It is also known to infect peas (Pisum sativum), faba beans (Vicia faba), green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), cucumbers (Cucumis sativus), squash ( Cucurbita pepo ), and tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum).

[8] Potexviruses make banded inclusions[9] made up of layers of parallel virus particles.