Behavior
It is a wood-decay fungus, using primarily dead heartwood, but also as a pathogen on live sapwood, particularly on older trees. It is a common cause of decay and death of beech and poplar, and less often of several other tree genera, including alder, apple, elm, buckeye and horse chestnut, maple, oak, walnut,willow,western hemlock, Douglas Fir, and Spruce.
Uses
A peculiarity of this fungus lies in its ability to be as a drawing medium for artists. When the surface is rubbed or scratched with a sharp implement, it changes from light to dark brown, producing visible lines and shading.The Anne Frank tree in Amsterdam suffered rot from ''Ganoderma applanatum'' before it blew over in 2010.
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