Well, let's see. Have you ever heard of penicillin? Just kidding, of course you have. But the big question is "Why is this important to the wood turner?". Fungi or spalted in the "land of wood" creates some of the most beautiful and interesting markings and as a result a spectacular and unique product. Spalting is found primarily in dead trees but can also be found in stressed out live trees. Who knew trees could be stressed? I am including a link to the Ohio Dept of Natural Resources that provides a more in depth look at spalting for those of you that crave more information. http://bit.ly/14Dhzri
This is the base of a wine stem that clearly shows the spalting magic provided by mother nature.