Puccinia monoica
Mycologia 4(2): 61. 1912.
Photo: On Arabis (rock cress)
Common Name: none
On various species in the Brassicaceous genus Arabis.
Puccinia monoica is a rust fungus that inhibits flowering in its host plant, Arabis. The fungus causes the plant to produce pseudoflowers, which attract insects that spread the rust spores. These pseudoflowers attract insects not only by visual means, but also by producing a pungent fragrance and exuding a suger rich solution.
Arthur, J.C. (1912). Cultures of Uredineae in 1911. Mycologia 4(2): 49-65. (Protologue)
Raguso, R.A. & Roy, B.A. (1998). 'Floral' scent production by Puccinia rust fungi that mimic flowers. Molecular Ecology 7(9): 1127-1136.
Roy, B.A., Vogler, D.R., Bruns, T.D. & Szaro, T.M. (1998). Cryptic Species in the Puccinia monoica Complex. Mycologia 90(5): 846-853.
