About Chrysomyxa rhododendri (DC.) de Bary
This plant pathogen, currently classified as Chrysomyxa rhododendri (DC.) de Bary, was previously known as Chrysomyxa ledi var. rhododendri. It causes the plant disease spruce needle rust. The fungus occurs in European mountains, particularly in the Grisons and Ticino cantons of Switzerland, at elevations between 1,000 and 2,000 metres. Fungal spores hibernate on Rhododendron species each year. During spring and summer, the fungus moves to spruce trees and infects their newly emerged needles, turning the needles yellow. In autumn, the new spores that developed on spruce trees reinfect rhododendrons to complete the annual cycle.
