blister rust

noun

: any of several diseases of pines that are caused by rust fungi (genus Cronartium) in the aecial stage and that affect the sapwood and inner bark and produce blisters externally

Examples of blister rust in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Similarly, white pine blister rust, a fungus that has devastated some species of white pines across Europe and North America, is expanding to higher elevations where conditions were previously unfavorable. Mark Takahashi, Ars Technica, 27 Sep. 2023 An invasive fungus called blister rust has been attacking these trees for more than a century, and climate change is expected to worsen other threats like mountain pine beetles, wildfires and rising temperatures, according to the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife. Julie Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Dec. 2022 Along 12 acres of the King Fire site, Wright and her team had planted two kinds of pine: ponderosa—which grow up to 200 feet tall with thick, striated bark—and a type of sugar pine resistant to white pine blister rust, a fungus decimating western sugar pines. Lauren Markham, Wired, 9 Oct. 2021 But during the past decade, a non-native fungal disease known as white pine blister rust has been killing the trees at an alarming rate. Jayme Moye, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Feb. 2023 The greatest threat to whitebark pine trees in the American West is white pine blister rust, a nonnative fungal disease. Michael Kohn | The Bulletin, oregonlive, 15 Dec. 2022 Trees can contract and host infectious diseases such as blister rust, which ravages many pine species. Monica Serrano, National Geographic, 14 Apr. 2022 The seedlings were offspring of whitebark pines that were found to be genetically resistant to the white pine blister rust. Michael Kohn | The Bulletin, oregonlive, 15 Dec. 2022 Researchers and private groups are working with federal officials on plans to gather cones from blister rust-resistant trees, grow the seeds in greenhouses and then plant them back on the landscape. Matthew Brown, ajc, 14 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blister rust.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of blister rust was in 1897

Dictionary Entries Near blister rust

Cite this Entry

“Blister rust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blister%20rust. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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