Dry rot in ships from various countries. The second was launched in 1810 and, when inspected, the timbers of the upper decks were found to be infected with 'the dry rot'. By 1816 the cost of repairs for this vessel had exceeded the ship's original construction cost. Texts published in the 19th and early 20th centuries also used the term to describe fungi which produced substantial (white colored) mycelium including;"Antrodia (Fibroporia) vaillantii". Eventually, the term "dry rot" came to apply to only one or two fungi the main one being "Serpula lacrymans", in the majority of texts dealing with the subject, predominantly
Serpula himantioides appear as distinctive fruiting bodies on the exterior of the host. "S. himantioides" prefers the moist wood of coniferous hosts such as fir, larch, spruce, and pine. It is the causal agent of butt rot disease, the symptoms of which include rotting the heartwood at base of tree, as well as damage to the tap root and cores of lateral roots, but standing trees show no signs of infection. It also a common cause of timber rotting in buildings, which has made this pathogen difficult to differentiate from "S. lacrymans" because of their similarities. This disease often goes unnoticed initially