It has the appearance of large brown patches surrounded by white edges typically found in humid areas on pine as well as hardwood.

The mycelium of C. puteana is not always present and often leaves a very thin layer of healthy wood making the fungus very difficult to detect before the structure becomes instable.

Coniophora puteana unlike other brown-rot fungi can completely degrade the secondary cell wall of its substrate through the 2 types of hyphae that it possesses.

Given the vast ability to degrade the entire cell wall C. puteana can cause immense damage to the substrate leading to structural instability especially in old buildings that are made mostly out of wood.

Due to the unique requirements for growth C. puteana rarely grows in nature but rather under the circumstances of man made buildings making it an issue for many people around the globe.