Host range of Phellinus sensu lato in India: An overview

Phellinus Quel. is a member of family Hymenochaetaceae of the order Hymenochaetales. This genus comprises wood-inhabiting, saprophytic and parasitic species. Species of Phellinus sensu lato are known to have large host range and cause white rot of various types to live standing or dead trees from all over the world. The current study is based on a thorough study of literature to document the host range of Phellinus species from India. The study indicated that one hundred and seventy four plant species from 51 families are found to be infected by Phellinus species. The families found to be the most affected are Fabaceae, Combretaceae, Meliaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Anacardiaceae, Myrtaceae, Meliaceae, Lauraceae, Fagaceae, Rosaceae.  Many plant (tree) species are affected by Phellinus; this establishes it as a potential pathogen and wood decay fungi. The present study also reports Phellinus from almost all over India and every climatic zones. This indicated the high tolerance and acclimatization of Phellinus towards diverse climatic conditions. The most affected host is Artocarpus followed by Terminalia and Acacia. Although the study reports Phellinus from diverse climatic zones of India, the most affected families and genera are from moist tropical conditions. This indicates that Phellinus has vigorous activity in warm and moist areas and affects diverse plant/tree species in these areas like Maharashtra and Kerala. The states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Union Territories, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland are still left to be explored. The present study has key significance in biodiversity, medicinal as well as the pathogenic study of Phellinus. It provides an overall host range of genus Phellinus, confirming its vast host diversity. The information could further be used in disease, biodiversity and plant pathological assessments.