The Cultural Characteristics of the Species of Fomes

Abstract

Within the past several years, the identification of the causal organisms of timber decay has become of considerable importance especially in connection with improvement cuttings in second-growth hardwood timber. Some investigators have been puzzled by the multiplicity of fungous forms which may be isolated from decayed wood and have felt that the positive identification of these fungi is a hopeless task. This study has been undertaken in order to work out a practical system whereby fungi from decayed wood may be identified and to study the cultural characteristics of the species of a single genus. The genus Fomes was selected because a number of isolates of the different species were already available and, since the sporophores are perennial, additional isolates could be obtained at any time.