Pacific Pests, Pathogens & Weeds - Mini Fact Sheet Edition

https://apps.lucidcentral.org/ppp/

Casuarina butt rot (195)

Search

Photo 1. Ganoderma applanatum growing from the base (butt) of Casuarina equisetifolia. Note that the fruit body is flat, brown above, and white underneath.

Photo 2. Close-up of a fruit body of Ganoderma applanatum, showing the brown, bumpy, topside and the white underside.

Photo 3. Casuarina equisetifolia killed by Ganoderma applanatum.

Summary

• Worldwide distribution. Temperate, sub-tropical and tropical. An important disease.
• On Casuarina and many broadleaf and fir trees, causing rots in the heartwood of roots, butts, stems.
• Difficult to detect: yellowing, slower growth, dieback, death. Trees become susceptible to be blowing over in the wind.
• Fruit body grey-brown, up to 50 cm, uneven with rings, on dead or living trees, white below with pores.
• Spread by root-to-root contact and/or spore infections.
• Cultural control. There is no control. Once a tree is infected it will die. When brackets are first seen, it is best to remove the tree to prevent infection of those nearby. Avoid wounding trees.
• Chemical control: none recommended.

Common Name

Casurina butt rot. Also see Fact Sheet no. 004 for butt and root rots of other trees.

Scientific Name

Ganoderma applanatum. The fungus was previously known as Fomes applanatus. The common name for the fungus is the Artist's Conk.

This mini fact sheet is a part of the app Pacific Pests, Pathogens & Weeds

The mobile application is available from the Google Play Store and Apple iTunes.