Abstract:Species diversity, ecological distribution, hosts and floristic elements of Meliolales in China were studied. 341 species and varieties (comprising 15% of the world species), belonging to 7 genera were reported. Among them, dominant genera are Melioln (239 species and varieties), Asteridella (54) and Appendicidella (22). Species of Meliolales in China are distributed mainly in tropical and subtropical areas, and 76.8% of the host plants are of tropical elements. Geographical elements of Meliolales speciesin China can be included in 11 areal types, viz.cosmopolitan elements (0.3%), pantropical (7.3%), tropical Asia and tropical America (9.1%), Old World tropical (0.3%), tropical Asia and tropical Africa (16.1%), tropical Asia (34.0%), north temperate (0.6%),East Asia and North America (0.3%),East Asia (1.7%), Endemic to China (28.2%). Thus, tropical elements of mycoflora in China comprise 68.9% of the total, and edemic to China species amount to 28.2%. The distribution of genera of Meliolales in China, and the numbers of species or varieties parasitized on what host plant families is tabulated.
