the pix are out of focus ... the camera focal point isnt where you want it ... try pointing at it.. so the camera gets your finger or pencil so focus is right there ...

the alternative would be adventageous roots... do you see them anywhere else on the plant .. and if not ... then perhaps you have a problem to fix ...

is it just this one spot ...

ken

Thanks, Ken. No roots anywhere and the bumps are on several branches. I will try to get better pictures later. I scratched most of it away but it will probably be back everywhere soon.

Try soaking a cotton ball or swab with alcohol and gently rubbing those spotted areas. If it’s scale it will kill them & should come right off.

In the first pic, that seems like an odd, random spot for roots to suddenly form, which usually come from a node rather than right in the middle of an...area (for lack of the proper terminology) like that.

They are adventitious roots which do grow along stems, not necessarily at nodes. Scale would be easy to remove by simply wiping. They are not imperfections, they're normal. If the stem touched a suitable surface the roots would lengthen and grow down into the soil. If you pinned that stem down onto a pot of soil you’d see it happen.

floral_uk, very interesting. I’ve had plants, indoors & outdoors, my entire life & never seen that before. Maybe I just didn’t noticed. I’m going to have to look that up! :-)

I learned something new today.

Adventitious Roots. That’s the correct term. http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/170/2/603

Strange it didn't come up for you. I googled and it was right there immediately.

Are your plants in a moist warm environment? That can trigger them into growing. Have you never spotted it on tomatoes? They do it all the time. And it’s the reason you can plant some plants deeper when you transplant. They grow roots from their stems. They are also the mechanism which makes taking cuttings possible.

Got it! Typo. Fat thumbs!

I tried to take better pics but it is really hard to get a good one. I am convinced it is scale based on its texture, growth pattern, the bit of stickiness and abundance of new and newer growth. I will have to give the alcohol a try. Unfortunately, I have found that scale is hard to completely eliminate once it infects a plant. It becomes a recurring problem and finds additional hosts. :(

Those pictures really don’t look anything like any scale I have ever seen. And I’ve seen plenty. Scale can be wiped off with a baby wipe. Removal does not damage the plant in the way you described. Trachelospermum is known for adventitious roots and I’m certain that’s what you have. Adventitious roots on TrachelospermumIf you do try the alcohol, and you need to do anything more than wiping, it’s not scale. That would need no scraping. It would wipe away.

I hope you are right and will keep an open mind on this. It's just that if it is scale and I do nothing it will get completely out of control and I will have to chop it off in that scenario to control the infestation.

If they don’t wipe off easily they’re not scale. These roots are a common characteristic of Trachelospermum. Did you look at the link? Or look at this one https://garden.org/plants/photo/468143/

Actually I hadn't looked at the link. We'll, mine aren't that big but looking at those pics convinced me that I am likely wrong about it being scale. Yay!

I don’t have a real camera, only my cell phone. That technique works for me, as well. You might have to play with the zoom & with the distance between your phone & your subject.