Alder Tongue Gall
Alder Tongue Gall / taphrina alni. Straws Bridge, Derbyshire. 14/08/18.
'NEW BEGINNINGS.'
A small Alder Tongue Gall that had only emerged a day or two before I made this image. Last August I was thrilled to find lots of these weird protuberances growing locally on female Alder catkins.
They are exclusive to Alder trees and induced by a fungal plant pathogen, taphrina alni. The ovarian tissues inside an infected female Alder catkin get distorted and start to emerge from the outer scales. They start off as simple forms, green in colour, but over time develop an array of yellow, orange, pink and red tones.
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
Alder Tongue Gall
Alder Tongue Gall / taphrina alni. Straws Bridge, Derbyshire. 14/08/18.
'NEW BEGINNINGS.'
A small Alder Tongue Gall that had only emerged a day or two before I made this image. Last August I was thrilled to find lots of these weird protuberances growing locally on female Alder catkins.
They are exclusive to Alder trees and induced by a fungal plant pathogen, taphrina alni. The ovarian tissues inside an infected female Alder catkin get distorted and start to emerge from the outer scales. They start off as simple forms, green in colour, but over time develop an array of yellow, orange, pink and red tones.
BEST VIEWED LARGE.