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Tag Archives: rust

Nettle rust

04 Friday Jun 2021

Posted by sconzani in fungi, plants

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Nettle rust, Puccinia urticata, rust, rust fungi, rust on plants, Stinging nettle

It’s Fungi Friday and, though this time of year is not what I usually think of as prime fungi time, fungi are always with us, around us, underneath our feet, in the air we breathe, and I did find some prime examples earlier this week.

210604 nettle rust (1)

The vibrant yellow-orange-red patches on these Stinging nettles are Nettle rust (Puccinia urticata), and there were a lot of them.

210604 nettle rust (2)

As you can imagine, they were not easy to photograph, particularly as the plants were swaying slightly in the gentle breeze.

210604 nettle rust (3)

Fortunately, I spotted a patch of Dock nearby and used a leaf of that to shield my fingers while I held the plants steady.

210604 nettle rust (4)

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Winter rusts

15 Friday Jan 2021

Posted by sconzani in fungi, plants

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British fungi, Melampsora euphorbiae, Puccinia lagenophorae, Puccinia smyrnii, rust, rust fungi, rust on Alexanders, rust on Groundsel, rust on Petty spurge, rust on plants

It may be the middle of winter – and chilly with it – but rust fungi can still be found, thriving on those plants that survive these cold temperatures. I’ve found these three in the past week, and I’m sure there must be more around. The good thing about rust fungi is that they generally only infect one species of plant so they’re easier than most fungi to identify – and that’s got to be good thing!

210115 Melampsora euphorbiae

Melampsora euphorbiae on Petty spurge (Euphorbia peplus)

210115 Puccinia lagenophorae

Puccinia lagenophorae on Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)

210115 Puccinia smyrnii

Puccinia smyrnii on Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)

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72/365 Alexanders rust

13 Wednesday Mar 2019

Posted by sconzani in 365DaysWildin2019, fungi, nature, plants

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Alexanders, Alexanders plants, Alexanders rust, Puccinia smyrnii, rust, rust fungi, Smyrnium olusatrum

190313 alexanders rust

We had such a mild winter this year that the Alexanders plants (Smyrnium olusatrum) that grow well along the coastal path from Penarth to Lavernock only died down for a few short weeks, then their vibrant green once again began to appear and grow up at their usual rapid pace. And with the leaves almost immediately came the rust that loves these plants, Alexanders rust (Puccinia smyrnii). It is obviously immune to bad weather, as it has continued to flourish right through the occasional frosts and heavy downpours that were about the worst weather winter produced this year.

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Fungi Friday: The rust challenge

28 Friday Apr 2017

Posted by sconzani in fungi, nature, wildflowers

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Bluebell, citizen science, Glamorgan Fungus Group, Lesser Celandine, Nettle, Puccinia urtica, rust, rust fungi, Uromyces dactylis, Uromyces muscari

Back in January I posted about the Cobalt crust-finding challenge I was taking part in with my friends from the Glamorgan Fungus Group. This month we’ve been at it again but our challenge species are rusts, specifically Uromyces dactylis (below right) and Uromyces ficaria which are both found on Lesser Celandine; Puccinia urtica (below left) on Nettles; Uromyces muscari (the other four photos) on native, cultivated and hybrid Bluebells; and on Nipplewort Lapsana communis.

170428 Puccinia urtica on Nettle
170428 Uromyces dactylis on Lesser celandine

Though finding and photographing the Nettle rust is more for the masochist than the faint-hearted – our group has joked about buying thick rubber gloves up to our elbows(!), the other rusts are less dangerous though no less of a challenge. I’ve had most success with the Bluebell rust – probably a reflection of the fact that everyone loves Bluebells so they’ve been planted almost everywhere, but have found only one specimen of one of the rusts on Lesser Celandine, despite the flowers being very plentiful and numerous in my local parks and wild areas. And I have yet to find a specimen of Nipplewort rust – probably because I have yet to positively identify Nipplewort (this is why I’ve taken up a botany menteeship!).

170428 Uromyces muscari on bluebell (1)
170428 Uromyces muscari on bluebell (2)
170428 Uromyces muscari on bluebell (3)

Still, just as we did with Cobalt crust, our group members have thrown themselves into this challenge and, to date, our combined total stands at over 140 separate finds. And, just like last time, our finds are being fed into our local biodiversity database so our challenge is helping to increase the knowledge base for these under-recorded fungi. Citizen science rocks!

170428 Uromyces muscari on bluebell (4)

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Rusts: resplendent yet ruthless

31 Tuesday Jan 2017

Posted by sconzani in nature

≈ 2 Comments

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Puccinia acetosae, Puccinia circaeae, Puccinia coronata, Puccinia magnusiana, Puccinia phragmitis, Puccinia poarum, Puccinia sessilis, Puccinia species, rust, rust fungus, rust on plants

If you think rust only happens to metal, think again. These are rusts – actually fungi – that cause diseases in plants; anything from trees and shrubs in the local park to the fruit and vegetables you lovingly tend in your home garden can be affected by rusts, sometimes fatally. There are around 7000 species of rust but they are more readily identifiable than you might think as many are specific to particular plants – often it’s a case of name the plant, name the rust.

170131-puccinia-acetosae-on-dock

Rusts are most visible when they form disfiguring spots on the upper surfaces of leaves, and pustules on their undersides, as well as on the stalks and sometimes the flowers and fruit of plants. Just like most other fungi, rusts produce spores, in this case in their millions from within the pustules. Though they are the bane of most gardeners, rusts can be interesting and attractive fungi to examine and study. The photos shown here are: Puccinia acetosae on Dock (Rumex sp.) (above), Puccinia circaeae on Enchanter’s-nightshade (Circaea lutetiana), Puccinia coronata on Creeping soft-grass (Holcus mollis), Puccinia magnusiana on Buttercup (Ranunculus sp.), Puccinia phragmitis on Dock (Rumex sp.), Puccinia poarum on Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara), and Puccinia sessilis on Lords-and-Ladies (Arum maculatum).

170131-puccinia-circeae-on-enchanters-nightshade
170131-puccinia-coronata-on-holcus-mollis
170131-puccinia-magnusiana-on-buttercup
170131-puccinia-phragmitis-on-dock
170131-puccinia-poarum-on-coltsfoot
170131-puccinia-sessilis-on-arum

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About me

sconzani

sconzani

I'm a writer and photographer; researcher and blogger; birder and nature lover; countryside rambler and city strider; volunteer and biodiversity recorder.

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