Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: infection

I took lots of shots of this bright yellow Rust Fungus that was growing on a tiny Rockcress plant at 12 Mile Coulee. Unfortunately, all it meant was that I now have a lot of photos to delete, as they didn't come out sharp. This one is usable and I can probably find one more, but that's it : ) However, thanks for finding this, Doug! I do hope you don't mind, but I'm using your description to go with my image, to make sure I get the right fungus and the right information! "Puccinia monoica 'Rust Fungus' infecting a Boechera sp. 'Rockcress'. When you first see this plant it looks like a pretty yellow flower especially at this time of year when there are very few flowers blooming yet. This plant has a rust fungus in the genus Puccinia. "Crucifers (Brassicaceae) in 11 genera are often infected by rust fungi in the Puccinia monoica complex. Infection causes a `pseudoflower' to form that is important for attracting insect visitors that sexually outcross the fungus. `Pollinator' attraction is accomplished through visual floral mimicry, the presence of a nectar reward and floral fragrances."