Cronartium is a genus of rust fungi in the family Cronartiaceae.

Cronartium
Cronartium ribicola on Western White Pine
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Pucciniomycetes
Order: Pucciniales
Family: Cronartiaceae
Genus: Cronartium
Fr.
Species

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They are heteroecious rusts with two alternating hosts, typically a pine and a flowering plant, and up to five spore stages. Many of the species are plant diseases of major economic importance, causing significant damage.

Species, hosts and natural distribution

Some of the species have been introduced accidentally outside of their natural ranges, notably C. ribicola into North America, where it is an invasive species causing heavy mortality in several pines which have little or no resistance to it.

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  • Millar, C. I. & Kinloch, B. B. (1991). Taxonomy, phylogeny, and coevolution of pines and their stem rusts. pp. 1–38 in: Hiratsuka, Y. et al. (1991). Rusts of pine. Proceedings of the IUFRO Rusts of Pine Working Party Conference. Forestry Canada Information Report NOR-X-317.
  • Forestry Images: photos of some Cronartium rusts