Melampsora populnea
This rust fungus causes galls on the alternate host plants of Dog's Mercury and (rarely) Annual Mercury. These are pale orange-yellow, white edged swellings up to 2 cm across, on leaf tips, distorted petioles and sometimes on stems. The swellings carry spermogonia and orange aecia.
The primary hosts, bearing uredinia and telia, are White Poplar (Populus alba), Aspen (Populus tremula) and the hybrid between the two, Grey Poplar (Populus x canescens).
This is complex of species, and taxonomy is unclear, with no established consensus..
Status in Leicestershire and Rutland not known.
See species page on the Fungi of Great Britain and Ireland website
Graham Calow
Burbage, Elmesthorpe Plantation
23 April 2019
on Dog's Mercury
David Nicholls
Cloud Wood
09 May 2018
Hazel Graves
Great Merrible Wood
02 May 2022
Saharima Roenisch
Oadby, Dam's Spinney
17 April 2019
Catherine Horrell
Cloud wood
23 April 2023
Saharima Roenisch
Oadby, Dam's Spinney
17 April 2019
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Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015
UK Map
Species profile
- Common names
- Dog's Mercury Rust
- Species group:
- Fungi
- Kingdom:
- Fungi
- Order:
- Pucciniales
- Family:
- Melampsoraceae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 60
- First record:
- 07/04/2016 (Grimes, Martin)
- Last record:
- 23/10/2023 (lemmon, roy)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
10km squares with records
The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.
In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.
Latest images
Latest records
Saharima Roenisch
Oadby, Dam's Spinney
17 April 2019
Graham Calow
Burbage Wood
01 May 2023
rust fungus on Dog's Mercury
Melinda Bell
Cloud Wood
21 April 2022
Catherine Horrell
Cloud wood
23 April 2023
Saharima Roenisch
Oadby, Gartree Road
20 April 2019
