I found these on my cedar tree, what could they be?

Question

Here are some pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22131398@N05/2370008306/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22131398@N05/2369172113/in/photostream/

I don't know what species of tree it is. The "balls" are around the bottom of it and are different sizes. Could they be a fungus or a cone? I just started to noticed them a few years ago.

Answer 1

They are the cone.

Answer 2

If you get one and cut it open, it will soon become apparent if it is a cone, a fungus or a gall caused by an insect.

Due to the regular spikes surface i would predict it is a natural part of the plant, if an infrequent one.

It would be interesting if you could post pics of the dissected piece !! (old biology student, but still with an inquiring mind).

EDIT:

Wow Kay , that is amazing, thanks to both of you , interesting stuff !!!

Answer 3

Looks like bubble gum!

Answer 4

That's the "fruiting body" of cedar-apple rust... part of the life cycle is on junipers, part on apples.  Take a good look at them in very humid weather -- you'll see something like this:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:...

The horns on your purply-beige things enlarge and start spreading spores around.

More on the lifecycle of this fungus:

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/30...