Campion Rust study

Help!  Please can you help about rusts on red campion (Silene dioica) in 2011

If you find the brown pustules of a rust fungus growing on living leaves of red campion (Silene dioica) please could you keep specimens for me.

In Warwickshire between 1965 and 2001 all records of a rust fungus on S. dioica were of the species Puccinia arenariae.  A second species , Puccinia behenis has been recorded occasionally in Britain as early as the 1920s and in 2002 it was found for the first time in Warwickshire. Since then both species have been recorded here, sometimes on the same leaf.  In retrospect it is not possible to decide whether  P. behenis was absent or present but not detected  before 2002.

Nationally (from FRDBI) between 2001 and 2009 there are many fewer records of P. behenis than of  P. arenariae (ratio 1 behenis:7 arenariae) and P. behenis was only recorded in 10 Vice Counties compared with 22 for P. arenariae.

For future reference it would be useful to establish the current distribution and frequency of the two rust species.

Red campion is a widespread plant growing mainly in hedges, woods and at roadsides. Both rusts form brown protruding pustules, each 0.25 (up to 1mm) across, usually on the lower side of living green leaves.  The pustules are sometimes clustered in concentric circles, at other times scattered.  Although, with experience, the two species can usually be distinguished in the field (with P. behenis less obvious) they are decisively distinguished under a microscope (P.arenariae forms only two-celled teliospores and P. behenis usually occurs as single-celled urediniospores). Rust fungi have been recorded on red campion in all months of the year.

If you spot rust (looking for pustules on the underside of leaves) please could you collect several infected leaves, ideally from more than 1 host shoot at each site and -

either: lightly press them between dry newspaper and send them to me with  details of location and date.

or:   look at them microscopically yourself and please let me know species, location and date.

Please look for and record the presence or absence of both species on every occasion, not just the less recorded species.

Records of rust fungi on other species of campion (Silene) would also be of interest.

Thank you
Gill Brand 

14 Bishopton Lane
Stratford-on-Avon
Warwickshire
CV37 9JN

e-mail  bertandgill@btinternet.com