Spruce broom rust of the broom. The main damage from the rust is simply overall volume and growth loss. The number of brooms as well as their proximity to the main stem can also play a role in determining the extent of the damage to the tree. "Chrysomyxa arctostaphyli" is an obligate parasite, and as with most other rust fungi diseases, spruce broom rust requires two different host plants to carry out its life cycle and is therefore referred to as heteroecious. The primary or aecial host of the rust is spruce ("Picea" spp.), and the secondary or telia host of the rust
Stem rust the end of the growing season black telia are produced. For this reason stem rust is also known as 'black rust'. The telia are firmly attached to the plant tissue. The site of infection is a visible symptom of the disease. Pycnia appear on barberry plants in the spring, usually in the upper leaf surfaces. They are often in small clusters and exude pycniospores in a sticky honeydew. Five to ten days later, cup-shaped structures filled with orange-yellow, powdery aeciospores break through the lower leaf surface. The aecial cups are yellow and sometimes elongate to extend up to 5 mm