Topic summary
Cryptostroma corticale
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Cryptostroma.
Cryptostroma corticale is a species of fungus that causes sooty bark disease of maples, particularly sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus). The spores grow profusely under the bark of affected trees or stacked logs. The fungus causes disease and death in trees, and the spores are allergenic and cause a debilitating pneumonitis (inflammation of the lungs) in humans. It is the only species in the genus Cryptostroma.