Needle cast (Lirula macrospora)

• French disease name: Rouge des épinettes
• Pathogen name: Lirula macrospora (R. Hartig) Darker
• Kingdom: Fungi
• Phylum: Ascomycota
• Class: Leotiomycetes
• Order: Rhytismatales
• Family: Rhytismataceae
• Partial list of synonyms:
  • Hypodermina hastigii Hilitzer
  • Lophodermium filiforme Darker
  • Lophodermium macrosporum (R. Hartig) Rehm

Distribution

• Canada

Damage, symptoms and biology

Fruiting bodies appear as elongate black lines, often running the full length of needles which remain on the twigs after they have been killed.

Other information

The needles can remain attached to the twigs for two years.

Canadian Forest Service Publications

Needle cast (Lirula macrospora)

Information on host(s)

Main host(s)

• Black spruce
• Colorado spruce
• Engelmann spruce
• Red spruce
• Sitka spruce
• White spruce

Photos

Fruiting bodies of Lirula macrospora on Sitka spruce

John Vallentgoed