Spotted pucciniastrum (Pucciniastrum areolatum )
Systematics:
- Department: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
- Subdivision: Pucciniomycotina
- Class: Pucciniomycetes (Pucciniomycetes)
- Subclass: Incertae sedis (undefined)
- Order: Pucciniales (Rusty mushrooms)
- Family: Pucciniastraceae
- Genus: Pucciniastrum (Puktsiniastrum)
- Species: Pucciniastrum areolatum (Pucciniastrum spotted)
Synonyms:
-
Aecidium strobilinum
- Licea strobilina
- Melampsora areolata
- Melampsora padi
- Perichaena strobilina
- Phelonitis strobilina
- Pomatomyces strobilinum
- Pucciniastrum areolatum
- Pucciniastrum padi
- Pucciniastrum strobilinum
- Rosellinia strobilina
- Thecopsora areolata
- Thekopsora padi
- Thekopsora strobilina
- Xyloma areolatum
Description
The genus Puktsiniastrum includes a couple of dozen rust fungi, the main or intermediate host plants of which, along with spruce, are representatives of the families Piridae, Orchidaceae, Rosaceae and Heather. In the case of puktsiniastrum spotted, these are representatives of the genus Prunus – common cherry and antipka, sweet cherry, home plum, blackthorn, bird cherry (common, late and virgin).
The life cycle of pucciniastrum spotted, like all rust fungi, is quite complex, consisting of several stages, at which different types of spores are formed. In spring, basidiospores infect young cones (as well as young shoots). The mycelium of the fungus grows along the entire length of the cone and grows into the scales. On the outer surface of the scales (and under the bark of the shoots) pycnias are formed – structures responsible for fertilization. They form pycniospores and a large amount of strong-smelling liquid. It is assumed that this liquid attracts insects, which thereby participate in the fertilization process (this is the case with a number of other rust fungi).
In the summer, already on the inner surface of the scales, ecias are formed – small formations, similar to slightly flattened balls. They can cover the entire inner surface of the scales and thus prevent seed setting. The spores that form in the eciospores are released the following spring. It is this stage of the life of the pukziniastrum that attracts the attention of lovers of “quiet hunting”, because the cones covered with rusty-brown grains look quite exotic.
Puktsiniastrum spends the next stage of its life, for example, on a bird cherry. Eciospores formed in spruce cones infect leaves, on the upper side of which purple or reddish-brown spots of an angular shape are formed (the affected area is always limited by leaf veins) with rusty-yellow convex spots in the middle – uredinia, from which urediniospores are dispersed. They infect the following leaves, and this happens throughout the summer.
In late summer and autumn, more durable structures are formed – telia, which overwinter in fallen leaves. The spores that are released next spring from overwintered telia are the very basidiospores that are to inhabit the next generation of young spruce cones.
Spread
Puktsiniastrum spotted is widespread in Europe, noted in Asia and Central America.
