FUNGOID PESTS OF TIMBEE 147 



its hollow sound when tapped. The disease 

 spreads by means of the long black hyphse and 

 not by means of spores as in Polyporus. 



A womid parasite actually introduced into the 

 wound is the cause of Bluing in Pines. The 

 spores of the fungus, Ceratostomella pilifera, are 

 introduced into the base of the tree by a boring 

 beetle. The mycelium spreads upwards through 

 the sapwood of the whole tree causing it to turn 

 a characteristic blue colour. Blue wood is as 

 strong as normal green wood, is tougher, and 

 when dry it will last as long ; but when wet it 

 rots rapidly. 



The last-mentioned fungus confines itself to 

 the sapwood of its host, the Heart Rot, 

 Trametes pini, on the contrary, attacks the heart- 

 wood only. The spore-bearing organs are 

 brackets, very similar to those of Polyporus, 

 brown beneath and black on the upper surface. 

 An enemy of Conifers, this fungus, in its early 

 stages, produces a number of small holes in the 

 wood. Later, the holes are arranged to corre- 

 spond with the annual rings and increase in 

 number so that the result is the formation of a 

 number of cavities, separated by their plates. 

 The wood first changes to a pale grey colour 

 and afterwards becomes red-brown reticulated 

 with black. 



A closely related parasite, Trametes radiciperda, 



