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First time I’ve seen this. – Found a couple of days ago, “Pocket Plum” growing on Prunus spinosa– Blackthorn. There seems to be surprisingly little detailed “technical” information available on
Taphrinaspecies via the web, and they don’t seem to be mentioned very often in readily available books. (Although they are mentioned in RWG Dennis British Ascomycetes, Ellis & Ellis Microfungi on Land Plants, Fungi of Switzerland Vol.1, and have a very brief mention in Sterry & Hughes Collins Mushrooms & Toadstools). What documentation is available always seems to suggest that the fungus causes the infected fruit to remain pale – with little or no mention of the fact that the infected fruit might remain attached for a considerable period of time, going dark brown or almost black.
I’m assuming that most of the ones shown in this photo might be “over-wintered” examples?
Click on image to view at full size.
[attachment=0]Taphrina pruni – Pocket Plum.jpg[/attachment] Regards,
Mike.
I’ve never seen this but keeping an eye out for it plus Polystigma rubrum (on Kew’s Lost and Found List). Lots of Blackthorn around me and special interest in the fruits for Autumn – nice Christmas drink! It’s actually quite rare for the wizened ‘pocket plums’ to stay until the Autumn: diligent searching will usually reveal one or two. Taphrina pruniin my experience is much commoner on Prunus cerasiferaCherry Plum appearing almost immediately after flowering (mid-April onwards). The fungus causes the fruit to grow faster and without a stone (hence the ‘pocket’ bit in the name). I expect to find it on pretty much every Cherry Plum in urban areas (including the popular var. ‘pissardi’). I don’t know why the literature on Taphrinales is so sparse. Certainly the FoS account is very dated given that it was written nigh-on 35 years ago.
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