Two fungi on moss

[Chris Yeates]

. . . we looked specifically for Nettle Clustercup Rust at Longshaw this year, and found some nettle patches where it was absent, or extremely sparse, but others where it was abundant. That throws up some possible explanations - resistant strains of Nettle, different varieties of Puccinia urticata (plenty are described), ecology etc. . . .
Steve

Hi Steve
You also need to check for suitable Carex species in the immediate are as well, of course; that tends to be the major factor for presence or absence in my experience . . . .

Chris

[diggleken]

Morning Chris - in what way is Carex involved? Not something I've heard of before in this context...................just realised that's a posh way of saying what do you mean..........
Part of a cycle?
Cheers
Ken

[Chris Yeates]

Morning Chris - in what way is Carex involved? Not something I've heard of before in this context...................just realised that's a posh way of saying what do you mean..........
Part of a cycle?
Cheers
Ken

Hi Ken
The fungus alternates with various species of sedge. I'm not sure whether it can be systemic within the nettle and may thus occasionally plod on from year to year in the 0 and I stages; but for it to perennate (and spread) successfully it has to form stages II, III and (presumably) IV on sedges.
It's worth bearing this in mind when you next see the aecia check out the surrounding habitat/vegetation - bearing in mind that it doesn't just alternate with the marshland/wetland carices (though they are the main ones).
cheers
Chris

[diggleken]

OK, thanks a lot Chris, didn't know that (clearly) - so yes, I'll look more closely around in future.
Cheers
Ken

[Steve]

Good point Chris. Forgot about that!
Rusts are clever - two hosts, up to 5 different reproductive strategies, invading continents on an annual basis and travelling on the air as far as many birds migrate. And with strange evolutionary links to Jelly Fungi.
We have plenty of Carex at Longshaw - last year we were shown the grasses etc by John Hodgson, a specialist from Sheffield University and got

Carex binervis
Carex demissa
Carex flacca
Carex nigra
Carex paniculata
Carex pilulifera
Carex rostrata

I have a big list of rusts from my 31 years working on a Meersbrook allotment. The nastiest one was Cronartium ribicola which killed our blackcurrants. We spotted this on blackcurrant in the Longshaw Kitchen Garden this year. http://fungi.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=9&t ... tium#p2411
https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid ... ter%20rust
It's common name is White Pine Blister Rust from its other host, so easy to explain its presence in Longshaw. On the allotments there is just one pine tree - right in the middle.
Steve

[marksteer]

Hi,
That's a very nice thread - and good to link to other fungi photo-sites .
We spent several hours a week later searching an adjacent area of the Longshaw Estate with abundant mosses, but we found no more Rimbachia. Today we scanned mossy boulder after mossy boulder a couple of miles away - no Rimbachia or Arrhenia (just Cordyceps militaris, Galerina and Mycena). I record these as "negative records" for Rimbachia, with a centroid and site name, as they represent a lot of surveying, and mean that a blank space on the map actually means that Rimbachia wasn't found at that time - and not that no-one has looked for it. (As Biomedical Scientists we were always aware that negative blood test results were just as meaningful as positive ones). Similarly, we looked specifically for Nettle Clustercup Rust at Longshaw this year, and found some nettle patches where it was absent, or extremely sparse, but others where it was abundant. That throws up some possible explanations - resistant strains of Nettle, different varieties of Puccinia urticata (plenty are described), ecology etc. I don't think you can put negative records into fungal databases.
Steve

Not sure about 'negative records in fungal databases' but Kew are very keen to receive negative records for their Lost and Found Fungi Project. All my records so far have been negative despite lots of effort! All grist for the mill as they say. Mark