Oak death still spreading. (Clippings).

Sudden oak death (SOD), a plant disease found in California and Oregon, continues to claim new victims, with seven more plants joining the ranks of the afflicted. One, canyon live oak, is the most common live oak in California and also the first that's outside the red oak family. (Until now, members of the white oak family and "intermediate" oaks, which are oaks that share characteristics of both families, have proved disease-free. Canyon live oak is an intermediate oak.)

A second, western starflower, is the first herbaceous plant confirmed as susceptible to SOD. A third, cascara, furnishes more than 5 million pounds of dried bark that's processed for laxatives--and gathering the bark provides an easy means for carrying sudden oak death's invisible spores to yet new locales.

Salmonberry and California hazel, fourth and fifth on the latests list, are widespread understory shrubs. Their delicious fruits are widely used by wildlife, from digger squirrels to Stellar's jay. The sixth, Victorian box, though not native to North America, is a common street and yard tree.

Seventh is poison oak, and what can be said about poison oak? SOD damages but doesn't kill it. And because it's among the most common shrubby plants in infested areas--climbing, when it grows as a vine, high into the crowns of oaks--it could play a huge role in the spread of the disease.

Sudden oak death has killed hundreds of thousands of coast live oaks, tanoaks, California black oaks, and Shreve oaks. It sickens nearly two dozen other hosts that range from California buckeye, bay laurel, and bigleaf maple to redwood, some rhododendrons, and even certain blueberry cultivars.