Quote:
Originally Posted by momoese
.....on my Melaleuca tree.  Any idea as to what it is? This is the second year it's grown on this same tree. |
No idea...but if this tree were in Florida I can tell you what the Dept of Agriculture's recommendation would be...
Melaleuca
One especially destructive invasive species is the tree commonly known as Melaleuca (Melaleuca quinquenervia). This species is thought to have been introduced into Florida in Manatee County around 1887. The tree was popularized by nurseries to provide shade and windbreaks for home owners, and it gained recognition for its ability to thrive in both upland and aquatic environments (Serbesoff-King 2003). In 1941, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) began planting Melaleuca trees in the Lake Okeechobee area along levees and spoil islands for erosion control (Stocker and Sanders 1981). Melaleuca was planted in swampy areas under the belief that it would help dry these places and facilitate future development (Laroche and McKim 2004). This notion has been debated among scientific scholars: while some adhere to the belief that Melaleuca consumes more water than native vegetation, others argue that it does not use any more water than other plants.
Melaleuca has now become established in south Florida, and has spread much more quickly there than in its native Australia (Rayamajhi et al. 2002). Current estimates place the coverage of Melaleuca in south Florida at anywhere from 200,000 to 500,000 acres (Figure 1). The main issue with Melaleuca is that it causes a reduction in area of uplands and ecologically-sensitive wetland areas. Due to its rapid growth and reproduction rates, Melaleuca may completely dominate landscapes that it invades, thus decreasing biodiversity and precluding the growth of native vegetation (Schmitz and Hofstetter 1999). Studies show that patches of Melaleuca can spread to dominate one square mile of land in only 25 years (Laroche and Ferriter 1992). Melaleuca may also increase wildfire danger because the dense stands burn with greater intensity, making fire control more difficult (Diamond et al. 1991).
FE670/FE670: The History and Economics of Melaleuca Management in South Florida
Anyway..good luck ID'ing that fungus