Silver leaf disease
- Latin name: Chondrostereum purpureum (Pers.:Fr) Pouzar.
- French name: Plomb
- Division: Basidiomycota
- Class: Aphyllophorales
- Synonym(s): Stereum purpereum Pers.: Fr.,
Stereum rugosiusculum Berk. & M.A. Curtis
Description
Micro-habitat(s)
Trunk
Distribution
Canada
Damage, symptoms and biology
The annual fruiting body forms a circular crust, sometimes with multiple, semicircular caps. The fruiting body is greyish with purple to purplish brown spore-producing areas.
The economic impact of the disease is greater on ornamental and orchard trees than on trees in a forestry setting. Chondrostereum purpureum is largely a saprophyte but can be a weak parasite on living hardwoods. Toxins produced by the fungus affect leaves, and on some hosts kill branches or entire trees. This fungus is currently being considered as a candidate for use as a biocontrol agent for hardwood stump sprouts under power lines.
Other information
Other related fungi in the Stereaceae such as Amylostereum, Stereum, Columnocystis or Peniophora could be confused with old fruiting bodies of C. purpureum.
Canadian Forest Service Publications
Information on host(s)
Main host(s)
Apples, balsam poplar, beeches, black cottonwood, black-gum, Blue-beech, dogwoods, hackberry, hickory, hophornbeam, horsechestnuts, lilac, london plane-tree, maple, mountain alder, mountain-ash, oaks, plum, red alder, serviceberries, trembling aspen, tulip-tree, white birch, willow
Secondary host(s)
Amabilis fir, grand fir, Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir, subalpine fir, western hemlock, western redcedar, white spruce
Photos
Fruiting bodies of Chondrostereum purpureum Eric Allen
Stain associated with decay Eric Allen
Fruiting bodies of Chondrostereum purpureum Norm Alexander