Sarcodontia pachyodon: a Canker and White-rot Agent of Plane-trees

Some lignivorous hymenomycete fungi are capable of causing both cankers and decay in stemwood of adult trees. Recently in Tuscany (Italy), Platanus x acerifolia trees were found colonized by Sarcodontia pachydon (Polyporales, Meruliaceae), a fungus associated with white rot and stem cankers on different host tree species. Because the relationship S. pachyodon-plane-tree was only preliminary studied, we decided to investigate whether isolates obtained from this host are distinct from those commonly collected from oaks. For this purpose, isolates obtained from plane-tree and from holm oak (Quercus ilex) were compared by in vitro test and molecular markers. Results showed that fungal isolates did not differ in growth nor in wood degradation, also molecular tests revealed relative similarity among fungal samples.