White trunk rot of conifers
- French disease name: Carie blanche du tronc des conifères
- Pathogen name: Phellinus hartigii (Allesch. & Schnabl) Pat.
- Kingdom: Fungi
- Phylum: Basidiomycota
- Class: Agaricomycetes
- Order: Hymenochaetales
- Family: Hymenochaetaceae
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Partial list of synonyms:
- Fomes hartigii (Allesch. & Schnabl) Bres.
- Polyporus hartigii Allesch. & Schnabl
Distribution
Western Canada
Damage, symptoms and biology
Trees damaged by white trunk rot are prone to wind damage, usually breaking within 6 m of the ground. Decay is usually localized to tissues near the point of infection, but spreads 1 to 2 m up and down from each fruiting body.
Other information
The taxonomy of this fungus has been complicated by its morphological variation on different hosts. As a result, many names have been applied to the organism. In the past, many P. hartigii specimens were named Fomes or Phellinus robustus, a name that is now restricted to a related fungus on hardwoods. Another fungus, Poria tsugina (Murrill) Sacc. & Trott., now recognized as Phellinus punctatus (Fr.) Pilát, has resupinate fruiting bodies that are sometimes confused with those of P. hartigii.
Canadian Forest Service Publications
Information on host(s)
Main host(s)
Secondary host(s)
Amabilis fir, Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir, subalpine fir
Photos
Fruiting bodies of Phellinus hartigii on a stem of western hemlock
Eric Allen
Fruiting bodies of Phellinus hartigii on a branch stub of western hemlock
Eric Allen
Decay caused by P. hartigii in a cross-section of a western hemlock branch
Richard Robinson