328 MANUAL OF TREE DISEASES 



Steingt Red-Bkown Heaktwood-Rot 



Caused by Echinodontium tinctorium Ellis and Everhart 



In western United States Engelmann spruce is destructively 

 attacked by this heartwood-rot. Fir and western hemlock 

 are affected by the same disease. WTien this heartwood-rot 

 is present in the tree, it may be identified from the exterior by 

 the rusty knots. The heartwood of the branch stubs is colored 

 a bright red. Three distinct stages in this decay are recognizable 

 when the trees are cut. As the rot advances, the wood becomes 

 discolored, spongy and occasionally contains light brown spots. 

 Later the wood becomes red-brown and the spring-wood is 

 dissolved, leaving the summer-wood of the annual rings in 

 separated layers. These sheets of summer-wood are then 

 destroyed and the tree is hollow. The fruiting-bodies of the 

 causal fxmgus are large woody bodies with pendent teeth 

 on the lower surface. Further details concerning this heart- 

 wood-rot will be foimd under fir diseases, on page 166. 



Brown Pocket Heartwood-Rot 



Caused by Fames roseus Fries 



Spruces are often affected by the brown pocket heartwood- 

 rot. The same rot is also found in juniper, fir, larch, pine and 

 hemlock. When the decay has advanced to its final stage in 

 spruce, it may be confused with the red-brown root- and butt-rot 

 caused by Polyporus Schweinitzii (seepage 331). At first long 

 cylindrical pockets of brown charcoal-like wood are formed in 

 the heartwood. The pockets, however, increase in size until 

 they coalesce and then the wood is uniformly brownish and 

 splits into cubes. The fruiting-bodies of the causal fungus are 

 either small, thin, shelf-like bodies or large and hoof-shaped. 

 The imder surface is rose-colored. For fm-ther details con- 

 cerning this disease, see under juniper diseases, on page 204. 



