A CANKER DISEASE OF SEEDLINGS AND SAPLINGS OF TETRAGASTRIS-PANAMENSIS(BURSERACEAE) CAUSED BY BOTRYOSPHAERIA-DOTHIDEA IN A LOWLAND TROPICALFOREST

Infection by Botryosphaeria dothidea was associated with stem canker a nd dieback of seedlings and small saplings of Tetragastris panamensis (Burseraceae) in the lowland tropical moist forest of Barro Colorado I sland, Panama. Experimental inoculations in the field resulted in cank er formation, reduced plant growth, and increased plant mortality. How ever, canker development was not a good indicator of the likelihood of mortality, as many inoculated plants died without forming cankers, an d plants with cankers that resulted from either natural or experimenta l infection suffered less mortality than did canker-free plants.