Slippery skin (Burkholderia gladioli) is a bacterial pathogen.
Burkholderia gladioli has been identified as a plant pathogen in onions, gladiolus, iris, and rice. It was originally described to have caused rot of gladiolus corms. The bulbs can become water soaked and decay. Some other common symptoms of infected plants can be seen in the leaves. The leaves contain brown legions, and they may become watersoaked. Other symptoms are the wilting and/or rot of roots, stems, and petals. B. gladioli has also been identified as the causative agent in leaf-sheath browning in gladiolas and onions. Sometimes, the whole plant decays.