STUDIES ON BIOLOGY OF BAMBOO TIMBER MOULDING I. MOULDING CHARACTERISTICS AND CAUSAL FUNGI OF MAO BAMBOO TIMBER

Fifteen fungal species from Mao bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) were collected from the main bamboo area of four provinces in the People's Republic of China. Listed below, these were confirmed through experiments as timber moulding agents following Koch's postulates. The ten marked "*" were important ones based on a moulding ability test. Discriptions of the morphology of each fungus with its moulding characteristic on Mao bamboo timber are given.*Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler; *Aspergillus flavus Link; *Penicillium citrinum Thom; P. chrysogenum Thorn; *P. funiculosum Thorn; P. sublateritium Biourge; *Arthrinium phaeospermum (Corda) M. B. Ellis; *Arthrinium state of Apiospora montagnei Sacc.; *Chaetomium globosum Kunze; Curvularia lunata (Wakker) Boedijn state of Cochliobolus lunatus Nelson & Haasis; *Fusarium pallidoroseum (Cooke) Sacc.; *F. camptoceras Wollenw. & Reinking; F. moni-liforme J. Sheldon var. subglutinans Wollenw. & Reinking; *Mucor hiemalis Wehmer; Candida sp..A measure of Relative Mould Covering Amount (RMCA) was developed to compare the moulding ability of different moulds on Mao bamboo timber.The formula suggested is: RMCA(%)=MA/SA×MT/ST×100% C(SA=Inner surfacearea of a Mao bamboo timber block; MA=Area covered by the mould on the same surface 2 months under 24~28℃ and 100% RH after inoculation; ST=Standard thickness=5mm; MT=Average thickness of the mould on the block(mm)].