Pine-pine gall rust

Pine-pine gall rust
Endocronartium harknessii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Urediniomycetes
Order:	Uredinales
Family:	Cronartiaceae
Genus:	Endocronartium
Species:	E. harknessii
Binomial name
Endocronartium harknessii (J.P.Moore) Hirats. (1969)

Pine-pine gall rust, also known as western gall rust, is a fungal disease of pine trees. It is caused by Endocronartium harknessii (asexual name is Peridermium harknessii), an autoecious, endocyclic, rust fungus that grows in the vascular cambium of the host.^[1] The disease is found on pine trees (Pinus spp.) with two or three needles, such as ponderosa pine, jack pine and scots pine.^[2] It is very similar to pine-oak gall rust, but its second host is another Pinus species. The fungal infection results in gall formation on branches or trunks of infected hosts. Gall formation is typically not detrimental to old trees, but has been known to kill younger, less stable saplings.^[3] Galls can vary from small growths on branch extremities to grapefruit-sized galls on trunks.^{[citation needed]}