What has happened to this bramble?

[ChrisJB]

Looks like lumps of moss growing on a dead bramble twig, but then again I know nowt about galls.

Regards, Chris

[Hobjob]

I couldn't find it either - but I did find this photo.

galls A Passion for Nature

on a USA site which looks much the same, though more mature.
I'll ask a couple of gall experts to have a look.

Originally Posted by Tiggrx

It was definitely a bramble - a few plants were producing a few normally developing shoots.

I assumed it was a gall of some sort, but can not find it in my gall book

[charlieb]

Congratulations on finding a similar photo, I had no luck!

If it is a gall, it's could be quite interesting as it is quite distinctive and not in THE book

[Hobjob]

Chris Leach from the Brit Plant Gall Assoc Writes

"I think that your bramble has probably been infected by the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens. This bacterium infactes a wide range of hosts and causes crown galls in root crop plants such as swedes and turnips. There are often malformations at distant nodes from the primary site of infection.
However, I cannot rule out other possibilities such as mycoplasma or viral infection and even contamination by low levels of a herbicide. However, if I had to bet, my money would be on A. tumifaciens."

Another picture of Crown gall disease appears

Google Image Result for http://www.canr.msu.edu/vanburen/bbfig18.jpg

This one is on a blueberry stem

and
Google Image Result for http://www.groenkennisnet.nl/databank/Imagesaantastingen/wortelknobbel-3.jpg

But as Agrobacterium tumefaciens is world-wide it accounts for finding the USA picture.

It would also account for the lack of thorns?

So unless Aaron goes and digs up a bit of roots and submits it for
culture ............ I guess we will never know for sure!!

[Tiggrx]

Thanks for that Hobjob - I had given up on this one - and thanks to Chris Leach for the possible ID

[charlieb]

Originally Posted by Hobjob

bacterium

The one section I didn't look in

Thanks for clearing it up! Sorry I doubted you Tiggrx