Phellinus pini

Phellinus pini (current name: Porodaedalea pini (Brot.) Murrill 1905) is a fungal plant pathogen that causes tree disease commonly known as "red ring rot" or "white speck." This disease, extremely common in the conifers of North America, decays tree trunks, rendering them useless for lumber. It is a rot of the heartwood. Signs of the fungus include shelf-shaped conks protruding from the trunks of trees. Spores produced on these conks are blown by the wind and go on to infect other trees. Formal management of this disease is limited, and the disease is controlled primarily by cultural practices. Red ring rot is an important forest disturbance agent and plays a key role in habitat formation for several forest animals.