Larch needle cast
- Latin name: Hypodermella laricis Tub.
- French name: Rouge du mélèze
- Division: Ascomycota
- Class: Leotiomycetes
- Synonym(s): Hypodermella laricis Tub. var. octospora Dearn.,
Leptothyrella laricis Dearn.
Description
Micro-habitat(s)
Needle
Distribution
Canada
Damage, symptoms and biology
This disease does not kill large trees, but repeated infections can result in growth reduction.
This fungus generally kills the needles and secondary short shoots.
Other information
Needles affected by this disease suddenly turn yellow and then red-brown in the spring and early summer and infected needles are generally shed soon after they turn brown.
The rapid onset of disease symptoms could be confused with frost damage. Frost damage, however, tends to kill both needles and young stems, and no fruiting bodies are formed. Several rust fungi including Melampsora occidentalis, M. albertensis, and M. paradoxa Diet. & Holw. are also found on larch. These can be distinguished by their spore-producing fruiting structures (aecia).
Canadian Forest Service Publications
Information on host(s)
Main host(s)
Photos
Discoloured foliage of western larch affected by Hypodermella laricis Bob Erickson
Hysterothecia of Hypodermella laricis on dead western larch needles John Hopkins
Dead needles infected by Hypodermella laricis retained on western larch Leo Unger