The usefulness of RFLP analyses on a 435 bp fragment of the tuf gene for preliminary identification of phytoplasmas from a number of phytoplasma ribosomal groups and/or 'Candidatus Phytoplasma' was verified. The strains employed belong to thirteen 16Sr DNA groups and 22 different subgroups and were obtained from both experimentally and naturally infected plants. The combined RFLP patterns obtained with the three restriction enzymes employed allow the distinction of a total of 18 different pro- files, however no discrimination was provided for some of the ribosomal groups for which sequencing remains the main tool for phytoplasma identification.