Melampsora caprearum

Description

The primary host of the rust fungus Melampsora caprearum is sallow, causing galls on the leaves; Salix caprea, S. cinerea and S. aurita; rarely Salix daphnoides, purpurea or viminalis. The leaf blade or veins become distorted with irregular thickened spots bearing orange-yellow uredinia and later on, telia.  

The alternate host bearing spermogonia and aecia is Larch; it is not a gall-causer on this host.

Similar Species

Several other species of Melampsora have Salix species as their primary host, bearing uredinia and telia, with various aecial hosts - e.g. Melampsora epitea complex. Only M caprearum and M amygdalinae cause galls; M amygdalinae is confined to Almond willow (Salix triandra) 

Identification difficulty

gall/host

Recording advice

Photograph the rust and galls on the host.   Ensure you have noted the host species in your comments.  If the rust is not gall-causing, microscopic examination is needed.

Habitat

alternating Sallows and Larch

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

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Species profile

Species group:
fungus
Kingdom:
Fungi
Order:
Pucciniales
Family:
Melampsoraceae
Records on NatureSpot:
98
First record:
02/06/2016 (Grimes, Martin)
Last record:
05/08/2025 (lemmon, roy)

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% of records within its species group

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