White rot is a group of wood-decay fungi classified mostly in the class Agaricomycetes and the division Basidiomycota, though some members of the division Ascomycota are also considered white rot fungi. They break down the lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose in wood, which is what causes it to rot. The first white rot fungi evolved at the very end of the Permian period, around 254 million years ago, and are found globally in forest environments.
