Stats

Lifespan

2 years

Size

Small

Diet

Parasite

Biome

Temperate forest

Range

North America

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Spores

Status

Uncommon

About

This fungus lives on both apple trees and juniper bushes to complete its life cycle. It sprouts bright orange, gelatinous horns from cedar branches after spring rains.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   spore

   A microscopic spore drifts on air or water and germinates where moisture and substrate meet.
2. 2.
   mycelium

   A thread-like mycelium spreads through the substrate, breaking it down into nutrients.
3. 3.
   fruiting body

   A mature fruiting body emerges to release the next generation of spores.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Fungi

Phylum

Basidiomycota

Class

Pucciniomycetes

Order

Pucciniales

Family

Gymnosporangiaceae

Genus

Gymnosporangium

Species

Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae