Taphrina padi Taphrina padi Taphrina padi is a fungal plant pathogen that induces the form of pocket plum gall that occurs on Bird Cherry ("Prunus padus"). The gall is a chemically induced distortion of the fruits, which are swollen, hollow, curved and greatly elongated, without a seed or stone, but retaining the style. The twigs on infected plants may also be deformed with small strap-shaped leaves. "Taphrina padi", a 'tongue fungus', produces a distinctive, elongated, tongue-like growth on Bird Cherry, similar to other closely related species such as "Taphrina alni" on Alder ("Alnus glutinosa") and "Taphrina pruni" on Blackthorn ("Prunus spinosa"). The
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"