Without the Root Rot Bracket, the forest floor would be choked with dead wood. It is a decomposer, a silent worker that breaks down the dead to feed the living. The fruiting body is a bracket fungus, large and hoof-shaped. It attaches directly to the roots or base of the trunk, often partially buried. The upper surface is dark brown to black, rough and cracked like old leather. It is hard and woody to the touch. The underside is white or pale cream, covered in tiny pores rather than gills. These pores release spores into the air, carried by the wind to new hosts. The Root Rot Bracket is found throughout New Zealand, from the northern forests to the southern beech lands. It is particularly common in pine plantations, where it causes significant economic damage. It fruits year-round, though the brackets are most visible in autumn and winter. It is not picky about its host, thriving on both native and introduced conifers and broadleaf trees. Its presence is a sign of decay in progress. Where it grows, lignin is being broken down. Nutrients are being released. The cycle continues. This fungus is parasitic and saprotrophic. It enters the tree through wounds or root contacts. The mycelium spreads through the heartwood, digesting the lignin and cellulose. This decay creates a white rot, weakening the structural integrity of the tree. The tree may live for decades with this condition, but it is vulnerable. A strong wind can snap it. A heavy snow load can break it. The fungus waits for the fall. Threats are minimal. The species is widespread and common. However, it is sensitive to changes in forest structure. Logging removes the old, diseased trees that the fungus depends on. Without these hosts, the population declines. The fungi wait for the forest to mature. They do not rush. It carries on.