May 2013. A bracket fungus was found at the base of a Azadirachta indica tree from Jaffna, Sri Lanka. It seems that it was not attached to the tree but growing from the debris in the soil. The tree showed no symptoms of infection. What is it?

A PestNet Associate, Dr Teresa Lebel, Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, said that the fungus looks very much like a polypore or bracket fungus in the genus Ganoderma. “I have no idea of the species in the region, but a forester would probably be able to provide some further help. These fungi can cause serious butt rot and root decay in various plant hosts. It was probably attached to some buried wood”.

As for the white coating, many polypores have this when young, almost like ‘melted foam’, and often with droplets of liquid; but the picture of older/larger dry specimen with varnished brown top and paler belt around the edge is typical of Ganoderma.