The fungus is a pathogen of dandelions and causes the leaves and flowers to distort and can cause rapid die-back of the plant concerned. It is common and widespread across the UK.
The fungus had dramatically distorted the leaf, causing it to curl over.
Here you can see the orange, blister like sori, on the underside of the leaf, that contains the sporangia.
View of the upperside of the leaf.
The round angular sporangia release zoospores at maturity, viewed microscopically at home.
Hi Alison
ReplyDeleteCan you culture on Synchytrium taraxaci for me so that I can spread it around my lawn please?
Hi Bruce,
ReplyDeleteI think your dandelions would win, as they grow and spread faster, than the fungus itself.
Thanks Alison.
ReplyDeleteI thought we were on to a winner there! (tongue in cheek)
I'll have your dandelions in my lawn, Bruce. I used to have just them, but then I slowly established a good population of daisies, and it now needs more yellow!
ReplyDeleteI have them in my long grass borders as well, and some of them were 2ft plus high in the flower stem ! One I took to the Council meeting was 2ft 8inches ! ( 80cm.) A bullfinch was eating the seeds tonight.
Must put it on the main blog.
Sorry, Alison, nice rust pictures, especially the microscope one. There is one that alternates between Sweet Dock and Pignut, first described in Halifax, though I've never seen it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve for your comment,
ReplyDeleteMichael has told me about the rust fungi that can move between host plants and that it was discovered in Halifax, shame on me that I can't remember the exact details. I shall ask Michael next time I see him and let you know.