Brown pocket rot of Sitka spruce
- Latin name: Neolentinus kaufmannii (A. H. Smith) Redhead & Ginns
- French name: Carie brune alvéolaire de l'épinette de Sitka
- Division: Basidiomycota
- Class: Agaricales
Description
Micro-habitat(s)
Trunk
Distribution
British Columbia
Damage, symptoms and biology
Losses of about 1-2% of gross merchantable volume have been attributed to Neolentinus kauffmanii in B.C. It frequently occurs in scattered pockets in the high quality butt log often necessitating the rejection of these logs for lumber production. The amount and pattern of decay visible at the end of a log seldom provides a reliable indication of the extent of internal defect.
Other information
Decay caused by N. kauffmanii cannot be detected in standing timber as the fruiting bodies form only on infected wood exposed to air. The fungus is known to survive in Sitka spruce logs that have been on the ground for more than 50 years.
Canadian Forest Service Publications
Photos
Characteristic brown pocket-rot symptoms of N. kauffmanii in Sitka spruce Fern Corkum
Characteristic brown pocket-rot symptoms of N. kauffmanii in Sitka spruce Jack Bier
Fruiting bodies of Neolentinus kauffmanii Libby Fox
Characteristic brown pocket-rot symptoms of N. kauffmanii in Sitka spruce Ray Foster