Hoof bracket.
Beech, birch.
Other deciduous broadleaved trees.
Found from the stem through in to the scaffold crown structure – usually at and around dysfunctional areas.
Perennial. Begins as a white mass before developing in to a greyish-brown bracket with a white pore surface. Mature brackets are generally very grey on the upper surface and distinctly tiered from multiple growth increments. Brown flesh. Very hard and woody.
Ganoderma australe (brown spore); Phellinus igniarius (confined often to willow).
Considered pathogenic and has a latent phase wherein it is present within the vascular system of the tree prior to establishment. Often indicative of physiological stress, wherein brackets will emerge following drought, storm damage, or otherwise. Associated with a generally simultaneous white rot at and around the affected area. Can cause radial crack formation along rays that become filled with yellowish mycelium. Fluting of the host tree may occur around strips of cambium killed by this fungus. Where targets exist, further investigations of the affected structure may be required.
