This isn't mold it's unfortunately mealy bugs. Isolate your plant, and remove bugs by cleaning with diluted soapy water or alcohol swabs, and repeat until the problem is gone (over several weeks)

thanks for the quick and thorough response, I'm on it.

Thanks again

The mealy bugs are tiny when they are young and hide well. I suggest a couple of spray bottles, the first with alcohol/soap/water mix to spray the whole plant. The second, plain water to wash off the bug bodies. Remove the brown end of that dead leaf, there are bugs under there.

Do this every couple of days until you haven't seen a bug for two weeks.

Richard,

Thanks for the input. As it turns out, the one leaf in the pic isn't dead, it's green and healthy - it was just the lighting and camera angle that makes it look brown.

Turns out I had mixed up a batch of Volk's oil spray to take care of sooty mold on my lemon tree and decided to use that on the Phal's. I was unsure on ratio of soap to water, so carefully measured the oil spray.

Also, I have 8 Phals total and all but one had the little buggers except one - which I sprayed anyway.

I tried spraying them off but they didn't want to come off. I'm now using a moist paper towel and they seem to be coming off easily.

Kindly let me know if I am on the right track here.

Thanks

Edit: the paper towels wouldn't let me get into crevices, etc., so I am using my sprayer from my kitchen sink with low pressure and they seem to be cleaning up nicely.

A cotton swab dipped into straight alcohol and then applied to the mealies will do them in. As richardol and calvin both say, spray the plant with a mixture of one part alcohol/one part water/2T liquid dish soap every several days until they're gone. Be sure to drench the medium also because eggs lurk there. This will not be an overnight solution, mealies are persistant, but you must be more relentless and ruthless, and you'll eventually eradicate them. Be sure to wash your hands between touching each plant so that you won't spread them.

Also, as richardol pointed out, you have dried material on the right side of the trunk, or main stem. This should be removed as bugs can hide behind it.

Thanks for all the help. Everything is gone (for now) and I did remove dried material. Will post back soon with results after another dousing or two.

Thanks again.