The Exobasidium causing galls on Arctostaphylos was long identified as E. vacciniii. However, newer research shows that E. vaccinii is host-specific, infecting only Vaccinium vitis-idaea. The name E. arctostaphyli was originally used for fungal galls observed on A. pungens. But until further research is undertaken, and in light of work by Burt, and later Savile, lumping many Exobasidium galls on different hosts together under E. vaccinii, it seems appropriate to ID the complex of Exobasidium species galling Arctostaphylos leaves as E. arctostaphyli.

ONE EXCEPTION: the whole shoot discoloration, which gives the appearance of a pseudo-flower, is being identified on iNaturalist as "Exobasidium sp." with the Gallformers Code "a-spp-whole-shoot-discoloration." This is the result of a compromise between (a) identifying all but the A. pungens galls as Exobasidium sp. or (b) identifying all the manzanita galls as Exobasidium arctostaphyli. This compromise may not really satisfy anyone. But it is a huge step forward from the practice by most American sources of mis-identifying these galls as E. vaccinii.

Taxonomic research is desperately needed!