purple fungal staining on lilac?

[owain]

Had a garden clearance job over my half term taking out a few bushes until one thing caught my eye when removing the lilac bush. The plant wasnt in great shape and it soon became apparent there was a purple stain runnning through the affected limbs surrounding some rot. after further investigation i found that smaller roots had also bin stained this lilac colour and i found a bracket barely holding onto the stem with new fungal growth showing through and old wound. was wondering if anyone could shed some light on whether this was the colouration caused by the fungus or a reaction by the plant?

 

Owain

 

 

 

stem showing rot and purple colouration

 

New fungal growth

 

Stained roots

 

Old bracket

 

Lace like rhizomes found on base of stem

[John Shutler]

i reduced one recently and the colouring was in the wood, so dont think its caused by the fungi

[owain]

Well i thought that may be the case but it only seemed to be coloured on the wood that was damaged by the fungi leading me to think it was the fungi that caused it.

 

:confused1:

[Dean O]

looks like Ganoderma, possibly Ganoderma applanatum - as it seems to be associated with dysfunction in the stem.

 

cant explain the purple staining though, wouldnt have thought it was nessesarily associated with the disease.

 

pigment assosiated with the flowers perhaps, just as you can see the copper pigment in the stem of copper beech sometimes????

 

I'm sure somebody more informed will come along with a more scientific explanation:blushing: