Here in the Colorado Rockies we have few tree species compared to many other forests of the world. If you learn about 14 trees, you’ve learned 95% of the native trees in the state. Of those, only two are hardwoods — quaking aspen, and plains cottonwood. But we do have a maple — well, a mapley sort of shrub, anyway: Rocky Mountain Maple, Acer glabrum.
Many times in the last six years I’ve encountered examples of this shrub that look like they could use some Tucks Medicated Pads:
Here’s a close-up someone else took. So here’s your quiz for the week: What is this? Here’s a hint — It’s NOT a fungus, which was certainly my first guess. Good luck, team.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
some kind of eggs? hmmm now i’m going to have to google it.
http://comics.com/pearls_before_swine/2010-05-23/
That comic is the most perfect summation of the internet I’ve ever seen. Here’s to the interw3bz! The cause of — and solution to — all of life’s problems . . .
Oh — I should also add that eggs is not correct, but eggs are part of the process that makes this . . .
Jennifer,
The red splotches are galls caused by the Eriophyid mite, Eriophyes calcercis.
Yes! We have a winner. : ) Full follow-up post to come.
galls have always fascinated me!
and omg:
http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/08/31/drink-up-nyc-meet-the-tiny-crustaceans-not-kosher-in-your-tap-water/?hpt=C2