Spring beauty rust

Appearance

The rust grows on all sides of the plant, producing scattered clusters of reddish-brown sori on the surface. The aecia are cup-shaped and have a conspicuous peridium. The spores produced by the aecia are hyaline , covered with minute warts, and measure 18–27 by 14–20 μm. The telia are about 0.1–1.0 mm in diameter, and dark brown; teliospores measure 33–56 by 16.5–27 μm with brownish walls 1.5–2.5 μm thick, and are two-celled with little to no constriction at the septum. The surface of the teliospores are ornamented with rounded warts that are 0.2–0.5 μm high, separated by 1.4–3.0 μm between the centers of the warts.

The variety ''Puccinia mariae-wilsoniae'' var. ''montiae'' differs from the main form in having teliospores measuring 27–46 by 20–28.5 μm, and walls 1.6–3.0 μm thick, and warts 0.9–1.7 μm high.

Distribution

The rust grows on the leaves and stems of plants in the Portulacaceae family, including the Carolina spring beauty , the Virginia spring beauty or fairy spud , and the lanceleaf springbeauty . Other host species include ''Montia fontana'' and ''M. sibirica''. It is known only from North America, where it is common in the United States and Canada. The variety ''montiae'' has been collected in Washington, California, and Utah; its hosts are ''Montia sibirica'' and ''M. cordifolia''.

Habitat

The rust grows on the leaves and stems of plants in the Portulacaceae family, including the Carolina spring beauty , the Virginia spring beauty or fairy spud , and the lanceleaf springbeauty . Other host species include ''Montia fontana'' and ''M. sibirica''. It is known only from North America, where it is common in the United States and Canada. The variety ''montiae'' has been collected in Washington, California, and Utah; its hosts are ''Montia sibirica'' and ''M. cordifolia''.