Puccinia striiformis

The fungus is known by the stripe rust it causes, the disease that gives it its common name. On wheat, the most reliable clue to its presence is the striped pattern of rust that spreads along infected plants.

Puccinia striiformis is common in Europe, and in more recent years it has become a problem in Australia. Its hosts include both winter wheat and spring wheat.

Observations of the fungus cluster in late spring and summer, with the peak falling in June and July-to-August levels remaining high. This pattern follows the season when wheat crops are most exposed.

The fungus has no direct human use. Its Spanish name, roya, comes from the Latin robigo, the name of the Roman goddess of rust and mildew.

The genus Puccinia is named after Italian botanist Vincenzo Puccini, linking the fungus's name to a personal tribute.

In literature and folklore, rust is often seen as an insidious blight that symbolizes inevitable decline.

1. For a long time the alternate host of Puccinia striiformis was never identified, which left its life history a mystery.
2. In inoculation tests, aeciospores from naturally infected Berberis chinensis and B. koreana infected Poa pratensis, producing uredinia typical of stripe rust.