Producing Spalted Alder Wood in Yunnan, China

Abstract

Abstract Given the demand for environmentally friendly wood stains, dyeing by fungi has come to light as a suitable process for staining wood, textiles, and other materials. The identification of fungi capable of producing spalted wood merits considerable effort by researchers, and some spalted color or styles found on wood in the wild cannot be cultivated in the laboratory. To find additional fungal candidates and styles for spalting in China, we here collected and identified wood fungi in Yunnan and Guangxi in China. Fungi were purchased or isolated and then inoculated to alder wood blocks (Alnus nepalensis D. Don). Out of seven purchased strains, three formed zone lines, but it was unclear whether Chlorociboria aeruginascens cfcc 87397 could do so. Out of 20 strains, 15 species were isolated from wood forming zone lines with surface black pigments, and only Diaporthe sp. ZXH63-4 formed additional yellow pigments accompanied by zone lines throughout the wood, which is a new means of forming yellow pigments and black zone lines at the same time. Some fungi collected from stained wood samples showed reddish-brown zone lines, but they showed black zone lines when isolated and inoculated on alder.