This is a supplement to the main Wood Decay page.
Here are simply lists, with annotations, of some important decays with a focus on North America. They are in 3 categories: stem decays of living trees, root and butt rots, and primarily saprobic decays (i.e., decaying dead trees).
Stem Decays
Some important decays of stems of living trees| Fungus | Decay type | Name of decay, disease, or common name of fungus | Common hosts | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dichomitus squalens | white pocket rot (often indistinct pockets) | (disease) red ray rot | Pinus ponderosa | = Polyporus anceps; enters branch stubs; decays heartwood in radial streaks; FIDL; Rocky Mountain Region Field Guide Entry |
| Echinodontium tinctorium | white rot | (fungus) Indian paint fungus; (disease) rust-red stringy rot | many non-pine conifers | enters branch stubs, dead twigs; one conk represents very extensive decay |
| Fomitopsis officinalis | brown rot | (fungus) quinine fungus | was once a major source of medicinal quinine | |
| Inonotus glomeratus | white rot | Acer spp. (maples), Fagus grandifolia (American beech) | small "clinker conks" (not the actual fruiting) in stubs that won't heal | |
| Inonotus obliquus | white rot | (fungus) clinker conk; cinder conk | Betula spp. (birches) | large "clinker conks" are sterile; real conks appear after tree dies |
| Phellinus igniarius | white rot | (fungus) false tinder fungus; (disease) white trunk rot | many hardwoods | very common and important in eastern North America and Europe |
| Phellinus tremulae | white rot | white trunk rot | aspens (Populus spp.) | very similar to Phellinus igniarius; FIDL |
| Porodaedalea pini | white pocket rot | (disease) red ring rot | many conifers | punk knots |
| Stem decays of spruce and fir in the Rocky Mountains | FIDL | |||
| Stem decays of Abies spp. (true firs) | FIDL |
Root and Butt Rots
Some important decays of roots and butts of living trees| Fungus | Decay type | Name of decay, disease, or common name of fungus | Common hosts | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armillaria (many species) | white rot | (fungus) honey mushroom; (disease) Armillaria root rot; shoestring root rot | many hardwoods and conifers, depending on the pathogen species | often associated with stress in hardwoods; FIDL |
| Echinodontium tinctorium | white rot | (fungus) Indian paint fungus; (disease) rust-red stringy rot | many non-pine conifers | enters branch stubs, dead twigs; one conk represents very extensive decay |
| Fomitopsis officinalis | brown rot | (fungus) quinine fungus | was once a major source of medicinal quinine | |
| Inonotus glomeratus | white rot | Acer spp. (maples), Fagus grandifolia (American beech) | small clinker "conks" in stubs that won't heal | |
| Inonotus obliquus | white rot | (fungus) clinker conk; cinder conk | Betula spp. (birches) | large clinker "conks" are sterile; real conks appear after tree dies |
| Phellinus igniarius | white rot | (fungus) false tinder fungus; (disease) white trunk rot | many hardwoods | very common and important in eastern North America and Europe |
| Phellinus tremulae | white rot | white trunk rot | aspens (Populus spp.) | very similar to Phellinus igniarius; FIDL |
| Porodaedalea pini | white pocket rot | (disease) red ring rot | many conifers | punk knots |
| Stem decays of spruce and fir in the Rocky Mountains | FIDL | |||
| Stem decays of Abies spp. (true firs) | FIDL |
Saprobic Decays
Decaying dead trees or dead portions of live trees| Fungus | Decay type | Name of decay or common name of fungus | Common hosts | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trametes versicolor | white rot | (fungus) turkey-tail (after the concentric zones of color) | many hardwoods | annual |
| Cryptoporus volvatus | white rot | (fungus) pouch fungus | many conifers | One of the first colonizers of dead conifers, fruiting as early as one year after death. Seems to primarily feed on phloem and cambium, although it is said to decay sapwood also. Has a cover beneath the pore layer until maturity (the genus name means of course "hidden pores"; annual |
| Trichaptum abietinum | pitted white rot | many conifers | Like most Trichaptum spp., the active margin and pore surface have more or less purple color; annual | |
| Fomitopsis pinicola | brown rot | (fungus) red belt fungus | many conifers | Produces sometimes thick mycelial mats in shrinkage checks in advanced stages. Can also cause butt rot or stem decay of living trees in some areas; perennial |