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 darvasica × "P. cerasifera"). Prunus darvasica Prunus darvasica, the Darvaz plum, is rare plant endemic to Tajikistan. It is found in the Tajik portion of the Pamir Mountains, the Darvoz Range. There, the plants grow as shrubs 1.5-2.5m tall. The fruit are small (2cm) but otherwise typical plums, nearly black, with a blue waxy coat. The pit is brown. The fruit is edible and can be made into jam or compote. It is suspected that "P. darvasica" is of hybrid origin, as it is a tetraploid with 48 (or 32, depending on the source) chromosomes, possibly the result of "P. domestica"