Distribution and morphometry of 11 different genera ofbasidiomycetes collected from natural forests and plantations

Pakistan Forest Institute, Peshawar is maintaining the ForestPathology Herbarium. The herbarium preserved more than 3500specimens of Myco-pathological importance including those receivedfrom Dehradun, India. In all 175 available specimens of Agaricaceae,Russulaceae, Tricholomataceae, strophoraceae and Schizophyllaceaefamilies of Basidiomycetes were sorted out for the purpose but 135only are identified to their taxonomic positions while remaining 40 areawaiting generic status. Only 66 representative well preservedspecimens at the rate of at least one specimen/host/ locality havebeen selected to study the details of their distributional andmorphometric characteristics. The results indicated that majority ofthe Agaricaceae (95.5%) belong to the mountain tract of Punjab(Murree), NWFP (Abbottabad, Galiat), AJK (Tarar Khel) and theremaining (4.5%) from Sindh, Hyderabad forest area arid collectedmostly after monsoon (87%) with only 13% after winter rains. Themaximum plant height of 14.5 cm and minimum of 2.5 cm are noted.While the maximum cap width of 14.0 cm and minimum of 2.5 cm aremeasured among its different members. The present colour shade ofthe specimens includes the golden brown (37.5%), brown (12.5%), light.brown (12.3%), dark brown (6.3%), copper (6.3%), deep red (12.5%),pale cream (6.3%) and country cream (6.3%). More than 66.6% membersof Schizophyllaceae are recorded from the broad-leaved trees, with23.8% from conifers and the remaining 9.6% from unidentified hostsdistributed in the Himalayan tract of NWFP (27.8%), Punjab \{42.6%),AJK (4.5%) and Sindh (24.8%). The majority (71.4%) members of thisfamily are collected after the monsoon. while the remaining (28.6%) areafter the winter rains. The maximum plant height of 1.3 cm and theminimum of stalkess re noted amongst the family members. Where asthe cap width variation is Worded from 0.3 cm to 2.2 cm. Thedominating color of the specimens is clay 2:5%) followed by white andoff white (30.1%), cream, pale cream and light ,brown (5.5% each). 50%of the members of the Tricholomataceae are collected from the humusfollowed by 33.3% on ground and 16.6% on the broad-leaved treesdistributed in the mountainous tract of the NWFP, Punjab, AJK andBaluchistan. All the specimens are collected during monsoon season.The height of the specimens varied from 3.3 cm to 21.0 cm and widthof cap from 1.7 cm to 10.5 cm. The colour variation is recorded fromgolden brown (40%), country cream (40%) to copper (20%). Themembers of Strophoraceae are mostly (66.7%) collected from theground and the others (33.3%) are from the broad-leaved treesdistributed in mountainous tract of AJK (100%, Tarar Khel). Collectiontime is 100% after monsoon. The maximum height of 15.7 cm and theminimum of 3.4 cm with the maximum cap width of 7.5 cm and minimumof 1.9 cm have been recorded in these specimens. The colour of thespecimens is varying from golden brown (33.3%), golden, brown sheen,copper and cream (16.7% each). More than 40% of the Russulaceaegenera are found growing on the ground followed by 31.5% onconifers, 18.8% on broad-leaved and less than 6% on the unknownhosts. These are collected from the mountainous tract of AJK (62.5%),NWFP (25%) and Punjab (6.2% each). The collection season is altogether(100%) after monsoon. A great variation from less than 1.2 cm to 9.0cm in plant height and cap width variation of less than 1.2 cm to 9.2cm is also. A, great variation of colour has been observed whichincludes brown (6.3%), golden brown (12.5%), sharp brown (6.3%), lightblack (6.3%), deep red (18.9%), light red (12.5%), beige (6.3%), palecream (12.5%), country green (12.5%) an cream (6.3%).