Needle cast (Bifusella linearis)

• French disease name: Rouge (Bifusella linearis)
• Pathogen name: Bifusella linearis (Peck) Höhn.
• Kingdom: Fungi
• Phylum: Ascomycota
• Class: Leotiomycetes
• Order: Rhytismatales
• Family: Rhytismataceae
• Partial list of synonyms:
  • Hypodermium effusum Schwein.
  • Lophodermium lineare (Peck) Ellis & Everh.

Distribution

• Canada
• United States

This fungus is widely distributed throughout the range of its hosts in B.C.

Damage, symptoms and biology

Long, black, shiny fruiting bodies form on needles.

Canadian Forest Service Publications

Needle cast (Bifusella linearis)

Information on host(s)

Main host(s)

• Western white pine
• Whitebark pine