what is this on my swiss chard

I have never uploaded a photo direct from my computer before.. not sure if it will work.
i usually use flickr..

will come back and edit with a flicker pic if no photo shows up here, as i realise a photo of the problem is really helpful.

i browsed the other posts and could not find the response.

my question: what is this on these swiss chard leaves..They are raised bumps..
they are blackish brown and found on the stems and actually embedded into the leaves themselves(the green part)..They are like a scale in that they can peel off with your fingernail..
is there a bug egg inside..and what causes this

thank you
alice

That looks like it might be one of the birds-nest fungi. Those would be the fruiting structures containing the spores. It does not damage plants, but is simply a means of dispersing the reproductive structures.
This explains it better: http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek011001.html

Thank you for your response.. i am surprised that there have not been any more.

Could be birds nest fungus..the only thing which strikes me..(that is by my way of looking at things, which may be wrong).. is that the host of this fungus is living and not dead or rotting material..or sticks or twigs.

i think we might be on the right track..but just not altogether convinced it is birds nest fungus.

anything which makes you certain that it may be this fungus.?

alice

Well, it looks like that, and they stick to plants, cars, sides of houses, whatever is in the vicinity.

I don't understand the "host is living" statement. The "nest", which is the body of the fungus is a decomposing fungus, and lives on dead material. The means of reproduction is to fling those "seed" bodies wherever they may land. From there, the outer "shell" will break open and the spores will be released onto the ground, to develop its own "nest" or fungal body.

You might look at the ground, or mulch, under the plant very closely. Perhaps you'll see the little nest structure. They are tiny...

This message was edited Sep 5, 2008 11:03 PM

thanks very much.

will do..

much appreciated
alice

well, no nests found..

you mentioned
"nest", which is the body of the fungus is a decomposing fungus, and lives on dead material.

these little bumps on the chard, are bodies of fungus, right?
in which case these nests would not be living on a living plant, (the chard) because fungus nests live on dead material like sticks and things under and around living plants.

that is what i meant.
i think that these little bumps are living, and they are eating the plant.They could be hitch hiking , i guess..in which case they are temporary.. but they would need some kind of nourishment to live on..maybe they get that from the nest ( little bumps) itself.

i wonder.. i still wonder..what in the world it is.
someone suggested scale insects.. but scale insects secrete a sticky liquid and there was no sticky liquid here.

still puzzled.
alice

Can you flick them off with your fingernail? And if so, what does it look like underneath? Are you seeing any damage on the chard - other than the bumps? Why do you think they are eating it?

hmm...now i have thrown away the leaves..
i think the leaf was intact underneath the things,but a lighter color, which would lead me to leave some kind of damage,..but which, as i think of it may just mean that the sun was blocked off from the leaf while the 'thing' was attached.

i could not exactly 'flick the things off'.. i had to work at peeling them off..

hope this helps.. it is a mystery.. and i hope you do not mind my pursuing it..

it could well be the birds nest fungus.. it is just that all the facts and criteria for this beastie did not line up exactly with my situation.

basically there is not much dead material under or around the chard..except decomposed soil amendments which look like soil.

thanks again.
don't worry..
just wondering.
not much i can do about it this year.
but would be nice to know anyhow.

cheerio
alice

okey dokey....