PESTS AND DISEASES OF FORESTRY IN NEW ZEALAND
Phaeolus schweinitzii, exotic wood decay fungus on pine
EXOTIC WOOD DECAY FUNGUS ON PINE
Forest Health News 126, February 2003
The recent discovery in Auckland of the Northern
Hemisphere wood decay fungus, Phaeolus schweinitzii,
indicates that this species has a wide distribution within
this country. The fungus was first recorded in New Zealand
in 1995 when bracket-shaped fruitbodies were collected by
Lloyd Esler from decayed wood at the base of mature live
Pinus radiata trees in a city park in Invercargill.
Fruitbodies have since reappeared on these trees annually.
Phaeolus schweinitzii was found again in 2002, also on
P. radiata, by a forest owner near Lawrence in southern
Otago. This month (February, 2003) P. schweinitzii was
discovered at a third location on the roots of a mature,
healthy-looking P. radiata tree in a park in Auckland.
It is of interest that in the last few years this species has
also been found fruiting on roots, stumps, or at the base of
mature trees in Australia (P. radiata in Melbourne; Ian
Smith, Forest Science Centre, Department of Natural
Resources and Environment, Victoria), South America
(Pinus)* and South Africa (Mike Wingfield, Forestry and
Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Pretoria University).
It should be noted that the first use of the name
P. schweinitzii (synonym, Coltricia schweinitzii ) in New
Zealand and Australia was in error, being incorrectly
applied to a related native fungus with which it has been
confused for many years. The native fungus, which in
New Zealand occurs naturally on kauri (Agathis australis),
has still to be correctly named.
In the Northern Hemisphere, P. schweinitzii causes a basal
butt and stem rot of pines, Douglas fir, spruce and larches.
It is most commonly recorded on mature trees, which may
become unstable. The possible effects of this fungus on
host trees have yet to be assessed in New Zealand.
(Peter Buchanan, Landcare Research)
* Wright, J.E.; Bolontrade, M.F. (1994): Mycologist 8:14-15.
(Editor : it is not understood how P. schweinitzii invades new
areas, and the difficulty in recognising affected trees in the
absence of fruitbodies frustrates any attempts to survey and delimit
its distribution; damage occurs primarily in mature trees,
rendering it unlikely to be a serious threat in short-rotation
plantation forestry).
