HOST PREFERENCE OF RADOPHOLUS-CITROPHILUS FROM HAWAIIAN ANTHURIUM AMONG SELECTED TROPICAL ORNAMENTALS

Fourteen tropical ornamental plants were evaluated for their host stat us to a population of Radopholus citrophilus isolated from anthurium. No nematodes were recovered from the roots of Aglaonema commutatum, Ca ryota mitis, Cycas revolutta, Dracaena deremensis, Neodypsis decaryii, Ravenea spp., or Spathiphyllum wallisii 5 months after inoculation, m aking these plants nonhosts. Low numbers of R. citrophilus were recove red from the roots of Phoenix roebellinii, Rhapis excelsa, and Howea f orsteriana, suggesting that they were poor hosts to this nematode popu lation. Anthurium trifidum, Chamaedorea neathebella, Chamaedorea siefr izii, and Calathea variegata were hosts for the nematode, allowing pop ulation increases of 2.47 to 29.92 times the inoculation density. C. s eifrizii and C. variegata represent new hosts of R. citrophilus.