Urocystis ranunculi

Description

Urocystis ranunculi is a smut fungus which affects buttercups.  Yellowish swellings or pustules occur on leaves, petioles, stems, etc., eventually erupting to release a mass of dark spore-balls.   Even when immature the dark mass can be seen inside the unopened blisters when held up to the light.  The spore-balls have a central brown spore surrounded by a few hyaline sterile cells.

Similar Species

Entyloma microsporum causes yellowish pustules on buttercup leaves, but does not have black sooty spore-balls. 

Identification difficulty

host

Recording advice

Photograph the smut and the host, ensure your photos show the dark sooty spore mass.  Note the host-plant in your comments.  

Habitat

Buttercups

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

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

UK Map

Species profile

Species group:
fungus
Kingdom:
Fungi
Order:
Urocystidales
Family:
Urocystidaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
4
First record:
29/08/2014 (Calow, Graham)
Last record:
06/10/2024 (Graves, Hazel)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

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