Coccomyces strobi. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].
Abstract A description is provided for Coccomyces strobi. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS: Pinus ayacahuite, P. excelsa [= P. wallichiana] (twig), P. monticola (twig), P. strobus (twig), P. wallichiana. Most records are on P. strobus. DISEASE: Coccomyces strobi is found on recently killed twigs of 5-needle pines. Sherwood (60, 1319) noted that 'since the fungus is nearly ubiquitous and appears soon after the death of the portions of the host on which it occurs, it is tempting to brand it as parasitic'. The twigs on which it occurs are typically rather brittle, suggesting that, like Therrya fuckelii (IMI Description 1297), T. pini (IMI Description 1298) and Colpoma quercinum (IMI Description 942), this fungus may have a rôle in self-pruning of the tree. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Canada (British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario), Hungary, Ukraine, USA (Connecticut, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin). European records are on Pinus strobus, a native of North America. The fungus is thus most probably also to be a native of North America, which has travelled to Europe with its host. The record from Ukraine is tentative, based on a collection with rather old ascomata. The record from Washington State on P. monticola appears to be the first from west of the Rockies. TRANSMISSION: By air-borne ascospores in humid conditions; in the USA, ascomata containing ascospores have been observed from May to August.