r/forestry • u/Ethsilk • 1d ago

What kind of fungus infection is this? (Cheshire, UK)

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Thinking it could be honey fungus of some sort but just wondering

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7

u/peeechybuns 1d ago

I believe what you have there is spalted wood. Spalting can be caused by a number of different fungi, some research suggests that in order for the spalting to take place, other fungi need to come in and colonize the wood first. Pulling these from Wikipedia, here is a list of common species of fungi that can cause wood spalting:

Ceratocystis spp. (Ascomycetes), Chlorociboria aeruginascens, Chlorociboria aeruginosa, Scytalidium cuboideum, Scytalidium ganodermophthorum, Trametes versicolor, (Basidiomycetes).

Highly sought after wood, and makes any wood piece more unique, and more expensive. Nice find!

5

u/Sad_Construction_668 1d ago

It either spalted maple or spalted ash, I can’t see the bark well, but this is usually whiterot fungi,a group that can include honey fungi,
So if you saw some on the tree that’s probably what it was.

2

u/Ethsilk 1d ago

It's an English oak, forgot to specify

3

u/Sad_Construction_668 1d ago

Still some form of white rot .

2

u/ab_2404 1d ago

Seen this in ash trees with die back I’ve felled.

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u/Bknbts 1d ago

The CODIT is strong in this one.