[IUFRO RG 7.02 FORPATH] FW: Fungus on Spruce Needles, help ID?

Sent at the request of Nancy Taylor, Ohio State diagnostician. Please reply directly to Nancy. Thanks! Enrico Pierluigi (Enrico) Bonello, Professor Dept. of Plant Pathology The Ohio State University Tel: (614) 688-5401 http://plantpath.osu.edu/bonello - http://esgp.osu.edu/ - http://cmib.osu.edu - http://caps.osu.edu Would you like to support my program to foster research on woody plant health with a tax-deductible charitable donation? Pleaseclick here<https://www.giveto.osu.edu/igive/onlinegiving/search_results.aspx?f… From: <Taylor>, nancy <taylor.8@osu.edu<mailto:taylor.8@osu.edu>> Date: Tuesday, November 6, 2012 2:34 PM To: Enrico Bonello <bonello.2@osu.edu<mailto:bonello.2@osu.edu>> Subject: Fungus on Spruce Needles, help ID? This is from a spruce, not a blue spruce, I think it is Norway. I saw this last year but since I'm seeing it again this year I thought I would ask if anyone recognizes? The browning needles are predominately older needles, 4+ years, but there are a few younger needles also showing symptoms. 2012 needles not affected. Upon initial examination the needles showed what looked like banding. These fruiting structures are very distinct, the spores are pretty unremarkable. I've included 40X and 100X images of the spores. Initially I thought this might be one of the spore stages of Phyllosticta but the spores do not have the barbell shape I associate with Phyllosticta. Please ignore the moldy fungi; this has been incubating a few days. Anyone seen this? Or more importantly, know what this is? We had a severe drought in Ohio in 2013, I do wonder if this is an endophyte on senescent needles. Nancy J. Taylor C. Wayne Ellett Plant & Pest Diagnostic Clinic Ohio State University 8995 E. Main St., Bldg. 23 Reynoldsburg, OH 43068 614-403-1640 taylor.8@osu.edu<mailto:taylor.8@osu.edu> http://ppdc.osu.edu<http://ppdc.osu.edu/>