Brown cubical rot of birch

Brown cubical rot of birch -
  • Latin name: Piptoporus betulinus (Bull.:Fr.) P. Karst.
  • French name: Carie brune cubique du bouleau
  • Division: Basidiomycota
  • Class: Aphyllophorales
  • Synonym(s): Polyporus betulinus (Bull.: Fr.) Fr.
Description

Micro-habitat(s)

Trunk

Distribution

Canada

Damage, symptoms and biology

Piptoporus betulinus is often present in dead branches of dying trees. After trees die, rot develops in the bark and sapwood, and generally spreads to the centre of the trunk. Infected wood decays rapidly; laboratory studies have shown reduction of wood density of 30 to 70% in four months.

Other information

Piptoporus betulinus is one of the few brown rotting fungi that only attacks hardwoods. Although it is restricted to birch hosts in nature, other tree species such as pine, spruce, and poplar have been successfully inoculated in lab and field experiments.

Canadian Forest Service Publications

Brown cubical rot of birch

Information on host(s)

Main host(s)

White birch, yellow birch

Secondary host(s)

European white birch, water birch

Photos
  • Brown cubical rot of birch Piptoporus betulinus fruiting body on a dead standing birch stem
  • Brown cubical rot of birch Older fruiting bodies on a fallen birch stem
  • Brown cubical rot of birch
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