.phpenv ignored?

[BenMak]

Server: ClearOS 7.5 with Apache/2.4.6 (CentOS).
-Installed PHP-Engines and enabled 5.6 and 7.1 in Server|Web|PHP Engines
-Set in Server|Web|Web Server Enable PHP to Enabled and PHP Engine to PHP 7.1

This resulted in a .phpenv file in the webroot /var/www/html with content 71
and a new directive in flex-80.conf:
<Directory /var/www/html>
<FilesMatch .php$>
SetHandler "proxy:fcgi://127.0.0.1:9071"

-Ran phpinfo() in webroot, got confirmation that PHP 7.1 is being used.

-Changed content of .phpenv to 56 and restarted httpd, but phpinfo() still shows 7.1
Same result after server reboot.

-Checked php_engines_path.conf: SetEnv PATH /usr/clearos/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin
-Executed /usr/clearos/bin/php with remarks in front of echo lines removed.
results correct: directories /var/www/html /var/www /var / and content of .phpenv '56'

Any suggestions?