Cultivars of cotton (24) were tested in the glasshouse for resistance to isolates of R. areola from Madagascar, Tchad, Ivory Coast and India. Infection symptoms on cotyledons differed from leaf symptoms and were described. The Madagascar isolate was the most aggressive followed by the isolate from Tchad. Ivory Coast and Indian isolates were weakly aggressive. Cultivars ''BJA 592'', ''Reba BTK 12'' of Gossypium hirsutum, and cultivars ''Tadla 16'', ''Pima 67'' of G. barbadense were hypersensitive against the 4 isolates.