Ecoregion: Southern Outer Piedmont
Habitat: Spindle-shaped fungal gall growing near the base of a branch of Pinus taeda (Loblolly pin) in a small cluster of young trees.
Substrate: Conifer wood, live
Habit: Single
Fruitbody: Spindle-shaped gall, ca. 12-13 cm long, with multiple golden-yellow blisters that haven’t burst to release spores.
Reference #: WCH-20210324-03

Ecoregion: Southern Outer Piedmont
Habitat: Spindle-shaped fungal gall growing on a branch of Pinus taeda (Loblolly pin) in a predominantly pine forest.
Substrate: Conifer wood, live
Habit: Single
Fruitbody: Spindle-shaped gall, ca. 12-13 cm long, with multiple golden-yellow blisters that haven’t burst to release spores.
Reference #: WCH-20210324-02

Notes: Galls on branches (9mage #1) and trunks (images #2, #3) of young Loblolly pines (Pinus taeda) appear as swollen ‘Fusiform’ or spindle-shaped areas up to six inches long. Bark has expanded with areas of orange (aecia) beneath. These orange bodies are hard until the spores mature, at which time the bodies rupture (image #1), releasing large quantities of orange aeciospores (image #5).

Trees are 6-7 years old, in an open field.