PHELLINUS-NOXIUS IN TAIWAN - DISTRIBUTION, HOST PLANTS AND THE PH ANDTEXTURE OF THE RHIZOSPHERE SOILS OF INFECTED HOSTS

From 1991 to 1996, Phellinus noxius was collected on 60 host plant spe cies at 136 different sites in Taiwan, and two host plant species at t wo different sites on Kinmen Island. It was collected mostly on hosts growing in the low elevation plains and hills of western, eastern and southern Taiwan, while it was found on only a few hosts in northern Ta iwan and was absent from the high mountain areas. P. noxius was observ ed on and isolated from 57 woody species, and three annual herbaceous plants. In the field, basidiomes of P. noxius have only been observed on Casuarina equisetifolia, Delonix regia and Ficus microcarpa. A dark brown mycelial mat on the surface of the roots and up the base of ste ms was used reliably for the field identification of P. noxius. Althou gh P. noxius did not favour a particular soil pH, it was not found in extreme pH conditions. It was found in soils from pH 4 to 9 and most f requently in soil from pH 5 to 8. P. noxius occurred mostly in soils w ith sand, loamy sand and sandy loam textures.