A brief review is given of investigations into the cause of agaru, a valuable
aromatic oleoresinous deposit found in the stems of Aquilaria agallocha in
Bangladesh, East India and other parts of South East Asia.
In previous investigations various fungi have been identified in association
with agaru deposits but their casusal role in this context has not been fully
established.
The present investigation includes microscopic examinations and identification
of fungal isolates from four samples of agaru collected in the Sylhct region
of Bangladesh. From this evidence it is concluded that it is unlikely that there
is a specific fungal cause for agaru. Suggestions are made for further research.