BEECH BLISTER FUNGUS-1000029917

Possibly of limited interest but here it is anyway. These are the sporing bodies (or perithecia) of the beech blister fungus. The fungus infects beech trees through wounds caused by a tiny insect, the beech scale insect (Cryptococcus fagisuga). The fungus causes blisters to form in the bark. I have read estimates that between 50 and 85% of the trees will die from the disease. The insect is an invasive species that probably arrived in Canada through Nova Scotia in the early 20th century. (If you look closely, there are some small black animals crawling among the fungus. These are some kind of springtail).