Diseases

I was just given a Purple Passion Vine a few weeks ago. It now has small white specks all over the leaves. Does anyone know what this is and why it happened? Maybe too much water?

Sounds a bit like White Fly http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=whitefly&spell=1&sa=N&tab=wi

or Scale http://images.google.co.uk/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=scale+pests

Does it look like either of these?

At first glance it looked like White Fly but As I looked with a magnifying glass, it was not. It is oval and fuzzy looking. It has texture of being foamy and sticky .

Sounds more like mealybug. http://aged.ces.uga.edu/2004cds/cd1/Hot_Potatoes/Nursery_Landscape_Disorders_ID/Mealybug.jpg

Yes it does sound like mealy bugs doesn't it. If the bugs occur in small areas at present, it's often easier just to dab some alcohol on their backs as sprays aren't very effective.

Thank you both for your help. Yes, I think it is mealy bugs. I found the following solution on line.
How to Make: Mix 1 to 2 cups alcohol [Use only 70% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol] per quart of water. Using undiluted alcohol as a spray is very risky for plants. You can also mix up an insecticidal soap spray according to the dilution on the label but substitute alcohol for half of the water required.
How to Use: Since alcohol can damage plants always test your spray mix on a few leaves of plants first. If the spray kills the pests and no leaf damage shows within the next 2 or 3 days, go ahead and spray further, using exactly the same ingredients and proportions you tested. If an infestation is well-established, it will be necessary to make a series of applications, at 10 to 14 day intervals, for mealybug control.