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A line of tiny black, nail shaped fungi growing along the stem of a conifer leaf.
Spotted on Oct 22, 2012
Submitted on Oct 22, 2012
3 Comments
This is an impressive organism asergio. I would have thought a scale insect is unlikely to build a shelter so tall and unstable, as it is used for a protective cover. I like your first thought of fungus which may produce sporophytes on stalks. Although both feed from the plant, this culprit seems systemic (internal) based on the amount of discoloration seen most clearly in pic 3. That's my long way of saying 'I don't know'.
At first I thought this was a line of fungi, but now I am tending to scale insect galls. Any opinion is welcome.
Great catch!