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Ganoderma australe
Ganoderma australe or Southern bracket attacks living broad-leaved trees, causing a white rot which will eventually kill them, after which it will live for several more years on the dead stumps. It is found at the base of the tree, and is so hard and solid that it is often impossible to break off. The top of the bracket where it joins the tree is dark brown to black, then newer growth below this is brown. The undersurface, consisting of minute pores, is creamy white, bruising brown or grey. The trunk of the tree, lower brackets and nearby foliage is often covered in brown spores, looking like cocoa powder.
Widespread and common in Britain and Ireland, Ganoderma australe is found throughout most of mainland Europe and is most common in central and northern Europe. Ganoderma australe produces brackets on the lower parts of hardwood tree trunks; it has recently been found growing on pine trees in Italy and may therefore be able to attack other kinds of conifers.
Spotted in rural area of Deventer, Holland.
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