Indian Paint Fungus

Echinodontium tinctorium (Ellis & Everh.)

From: Field Guide to Diseases and Insect Pests of Idaho and Montana Forests, USDA Forest Service Northern Region, Publication Number R1-89-54

Hosts. – Grand fir, western hemlock and, occasionally, subalpine fir.

Distribution. – Range of hosts in Idaho and western Montana. Damage. – Heartrot of stems. Decay extends about 16 feet in either direction from a conk on the stern. Three to four punk knots or two to three conks scattered along the stern indicate complete cull.

Identification. – Conks, which can reach sizes of a foot in diameter, develop under branches or branch stubs. They are woody, hoof-shaped, and toothed on the underside (fig. 7). The upper surface is dark brown or black, lower surface is gray, and context is brick red. Punk knots have brick red tissue within. The rot is tan and water soaked at first, becoming yellow to orange and stringy (fig. 8).

Figure 7. Indian Paint Fungus conks have an orange-red context and gray teeth projecting down.	Figure 8. Indian Paint Fungus decay is yellow to brown and slightly in the early stages. Concentric rings of lighter and darker heartwood are seen in cross section.

Similar damages. – Phellinus pitii also causes a stem rot in these species, but both the rot and conk appearances are sufficiently different from E. tinctorium to make confusion unlikely.

Link to Table 1 – Comparison of Common Heartrots in Species Other Than Western Redcedar

Link to Images in Forestry Images

References.

Anonymous. 1982. For. Insect & disease identification and management. USDA For. Serv., Northern Region; Idaho Dept. of Lands, Insect and Disease Control; Montana Dept. of State Lands, Division of Forestry. 192 p.

Bega, R.V. 1978. Diseases of Pacific Coast conifers. USDA For. Serv. Ag. Hndbk. No. 521, 206 p.

Boyce, J.S. 1961. Forest Pathology. McGraw-Hill Book CO., New York, NY. 572 p.

Hepting, G.E. 1971. Diseases of forest and shade trees of the United States. USDA For. Serv. Ag. Hndbk. No. 386, 658 p.

Kimmey, J.W. 1964. Heartrots of western hemlocl. USDA For. Serv., For. Pest Leaflet 90, 7 p.

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