During a survey in 2003 at San Isidro, Santa Cruz, Bolivia, peach trees showed symptoms similar to peach yellow leaf roll (PYLR) disease. The older leaves showed yellowing of leaf margins and rolling, drying and necrosis. The young leaves were tightly rolled and yellow, and proliferation of shoots was evident along branches. Many trees were dead or drying. The sequence of the phytoplasma rDNA (with accession number AY725212) showed 98% similarity with papaya dieback phytoplasma from Australia, a member of the 16rSrXII Stolbur group (Candidatus Phytoplasma australiense). This is thought to be the first report of PYLR-like disease in Bolivia, and the first record of the presence of a Stolbur group phytoplasma in peach.