Mulberry rust - Aecidium mori

Mulberry rust, caused by Aecidium mori, is the most destructive disease of mulberry (Morus spp.) in nurseries. Mulberry is cultivated for the rearing of silkworms (Bombyx mori L.) and is the basis of silk industry. The mulberry leaves are the only source of nutrition for silkworms, whose growth, larval development, and subsequent cocoon production are influenced by its nutritional value. Mulberry rust affects branches, leaves and buds of mulberry resulting in decreases in leaf quality and quantity.

Aecidium mori Barclay, J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 60: 226. 1891.

Spermogonia unknown.

Aecia amphigenous, solitary or in groups, sometimes densely clustered, on leaves, buds, and branches, also on veins and petioles, often in elongated clusters to 1 cm long, causing distortion and hypertrophy of the host, cupulate, deeply immersed in host mesophyll, 150-200 µm diam., yellowish; peridia prominent, easily splitting vertically, peridial cells oblong to polygonal, 14-31 × 10-21 µm, inner wall 0.5-1 µm thick, verrucose, outer wall 3.5 µm thick, smooth to finely verrucose; aeciospores angularly globose to ellipsoid, densely and minutely verrucose, hyaline to pale yellowish, 11-20 × 9-17 µm, walls 1.5 µm thick.

Uredinia and telia unknown.

Hosts: on species of Broussonetia and Morus (Moraceae).

Geographic distribution: only known from Asia (Afghanistan, Burma, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand) (Farr. et al n.d.).

Aecidium mori morphologically is an Aecidium based on the presence of a peridium. However, the spores are able to reinfect the mulberry and therefore function as an uredinial stage (Kaneko 1973). Several other rusts are reported on Morus, including Phakopsora mori Buriticá & J.F. Hennen, P. nishidana S. Ito, P. fici-erectae S. Ito & Otani, Cerotelium fici (E.J. Butler) Arthur and two species of Uredo, Uredo morifolia Sawada and Uredo moricola Henn. All of these differ from A. mori in that the sori are not surrounded by a peridium.

References:

C.M.I. 1989. Aecidium mori. Distrib. Maps Pl. Dis. 602: 1-2.

Kaneko, S. 1973. [Life cycle and behavior of nuclei of Aecidium mori Barclay, the causal fungus of mulberry rust]. Trans. Mycol. Soc. Japan 14: 294-301.

Mordue, J.E.M. 1991. Aecidium mori. C.M.I. Descr. Pathog. Fungi Bact. 1031: 1-2.

Nomenclature

Specimens in BPI

Additional distribution data

Suggested citation: Hernández, J.R. Systematic Mycology and Microbiology Laboratory, ARS, USDA. 31 March 2005. Invasive Fungi. Mulberry rust - Aecidium mori. Retrieved November 21, 2009, from http://nt.ars-grin.gov/sbmlweb/fungi/index.cfm .