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Stem rusts of pine

R. S. Hunt

Introduction

Stem rusts cause more damage to pine throughout the world than any other rust diseases of trees. They are caused by a well delimited group of rust fungi which cause similar and conspicuous symptoms. Damage by stem rusts may cause significant economic impacts in commercial forests by killing trees, causing stem distortions, or by reducing growth. In locations where infection levels can be high, susceptible species are avoided by reforestation specialists, arborists and horticulturists. In British Columbia and at other locations in western Canada, stem rusts are represented by five species of the fungal family Melampsoraceae: -White pine blister rust -Cronartium ribicola -Western gall rust -Endocronartium harknessii -Comandra blister rust -Cronartium comandrae -Sweet-fern blister rust -Cronartium comptoniae -Stalactiform blister rust -Cronartium coleosporoides As the notorious white pine blister rust is dealt with separately in this series of Forest Pest Leaflets (No. 26), the remaining four are the subject of this leaflet.

For more information, see the Stem rusts of pine Forest Pest Leaflet in the Canadian Forest Service bookstore.