Summary:
Pucciniastrum included as an example of Uredinales (rust fungi). The rust fungi all grow on vascular plants, and often have very narrow host ranges. They do not have basidium producing fruitbodies, because basidia are produced from overwintering spores. There are up to five different types of spores specialized for different parts of the life cycle, and often two separate hosts that are taxonomically unrelated to each other. Pucciniastrum goeppertianum in BC has fir as one host (the aecial host) and as the other host (the telial host) various Vaccinium species (blueberry etc.). (various sources). The teliospores are produced on swollen infected blueberry shoots, and germinate on these shoots to produce basidiospores in late spring. The spores are carried by wind to fir trees where the current season''s growth becomes infected. Aeciospores are then formed on needles and these are blown by wind to blueberry where they germinate on leaves and stem in mid to late summer. "The fungus eventually becomes systemic and perennial in the blueberry, stimulating the production of excessive lateral buds that develop into the characteristic broom-like masses of swollen shoots." Teliospores are formed on the swollen shoots and overwinter there. (Delbridge & Nickerson 1995).

Notes:
Pucciniastrum goeppertianum occurs in Canada in BC, AB, MB, NB, NF, NS, ON, PE, PQ, SK, YT, (Ginns).

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Pucciniastrum vaccinii (G. Winter) Joerst.