Abstract: After continual observation and computer program assistant analysis of variegation on 20 different leaf color chimeral plantlets of Anthurium andreaeanum cv ‘Sonate’ during 3 different growth phases, we found that in tissue culture condition both ratio of chimeral leaf quantities to all plantlet leaf quantities and ratio of non-green part to total leaf areas per plantlet were the highest, respectively at 81% and 50.1%. After transplanting to greenhouse, 7 of 9 plantlets with non-green part over 50% could not naturally grow and gradually perish, furthermore, quantities of new variegated leaves were reduced, ratio of chimeral leaf quantities and ratio of non-green part decreased, respectively at 46.2% and 23.0%. New leaves tended to present full green. However, ratio of non-green part increased in 5 plantlets after using nutritional liquid. All these phenomena indicated that: plenteous nutrition is better for variegation maintenance, it is difficult to live chimeral plantlet with non-green part over 50% and competition between wild type cells and mutant cells must exist in shoot apical meristem during leaf primordium formation, and the result of which is reciprocal substitution or achieving active balance.

Key words: Anthurium andreaeanum Lind., Leaf color chimera, Level of nutrition, Ratio of variegation, Leaf color maintenance