Phellinus pini (Fr.) Ames. Bracket 2-20cm across, 1-15cm thick; hoof-shaped, fan-shaped, or shelf-like; tawny to dark reddish brown or brownish black in age, with the margin often brighter; hard, crusty, rough or cracked, minutely hairy, generally curved. Tubes up to 6mm deep. Pores circular to angular; dingy yellow-tawny. Stem minute or none. Flesh tough; tawny to tan or ochre. Spores globose or subglobose, smooth, 4-6 x 3.5-5µ. Deposit brown. Habitat singly or in rows on living or recently dead coniferous trunks. Common. Widely distributed in North America. Season perennial. Not edible. Comment A very destructive fungus that attacks the heartwood of living trees, resulting in "conk rot" causing more timber loss than any other fungus. |