First Reports of Aphelenchoides fragariae on Royal Fern and on Hosta and Other Hosts in South Carolina.

In September 1999, royal ferns (Osmunda regalis L.) at a South Carolina wholesale nursery were found to be infected by foliar nematodes. Lesions were brown, vein-limited, and often fan shaped. As severity increased, affected leaflets became totally necrotic. Nematodes were extracted by excising and dicing symptomatic leaf sections and placing them in water for up to 24 h. Ten adult nematodes from each of two fern plants were examined microscopically and determined to be Aphelenchoides fragariae (Ritzema Bos) Christie. This is the first report of this nematode infecting royal fern. In August 1996, leaves from several cultivars of Hosta spp. with yellow to tan, vein-limited lesions were submitted from The South Carolina Botanical Garden (Clemson, SC) to the Clemson University Plant Problem Clinic for diagnosis. Nematodes were extracted and examined as described above and identified as A. fragariae. This is the first report of this nematode infecting Hosta spp. in South Carolina. Since 1996, foliar nematodes have been recovered from hostas at several wholesale nurseries in South Carolina. Aphelenchoides spp. also have been detected previously in commercially produced ornamental plants in South Carolina, including a Begonia sp. in 1988; Polygonum bistorta L. 'Super-bum' (snakeweed) in 1997; and a Polystichum sp. (holly fern) in 1997. All plants exhibited angular or vein-limited, necrotic lesions typical of foliar nematode infections.