Taphrina pruni being larger than the healthy one. As a fungus, cool and wet weather conditions promote the germination of spores, whilst warm and dry weather results in infection rarely taking place. Colonisation can become extensive and eradication very difficult. The disease can to some degree be controlled by carefully removing infected branches, witch's brooms and fruit before the infective air borne spores are produced. Applications of copper-containing fungicides have a degree of control over the fungus. Taphrina pruni Taphrina pruni is a fungal plant pathogen of blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) that causes the Pocket or bladder Plum gall, a chemically induced distortion
Prunus africana buttock", because the two lobes of the fruit resemble the human gluteus maximus muscles. In 1965, Cornelis Kalkman moved "Pygeum" to "Prunus", and this classification has the authority for now. However, a recent cladistic study notes of "Pygeum": "its relationships to "Prunus" remain to be tested by molecular cladistics." "Prunus africana" is known by the common names African cherry, pygeum (from its former scientific name, "Pygeum africanum"), iron wood, red stinkwood, African plum, African prune, and bitter almond. In other languages spoken where it grows, it is known as "tikur inchet" in Amharic, "mkonde-konde" in Chagga, "muiri" in Kikuyu, "entasesa"