#rustfungus

Aliens invaded our yard last spring #rustfungus https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ-KvoUjP9m/?igshid=1jl0pb4r5yd2g

Naturally occurring Festivus tree ornaments, Orange tentacled jelly alien or Cedar-Apple rust?! This orange tentacled looking fungi is known as Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae & spends part of its life cycle on Eastern Red Cedars growing around orchards. The fungus produces reddish-brown galls. With the 1st warm rains of spring, the spore horns become gelatinous & produce teliospores. Wind carries the spores to apple leaves & attach themselves, germinate & enter the leaf or fruit tissue. Yellow lessons develop in 1-3 wks. Later in the summer, spores from the apple leaves (aeciospores) are produced & winds carry these spores back to Eastern Red Cedars completing the infectious cycle. Quince, Hawthorn are also common hosts & many species of Juniper can substitute for the Eastern Red cedars. #spore #horns #fungi #rustfungus #gall #festivus Images 1&2: Public domain Image 3&4: Gall w/telial horns (spore horns!!) & crab apple leaf showing stomata -public domain. (at Toronto, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6OP3zcAm91/?igshid=1g0ndb123wg3o