Wheat leaf rust Wheat leaf rust Wheat leaf rust is a fungal disease that affects wheat, barley and rye stems, leaves and grains. In temperate zones it is destructive on winter wheat because the pathogen overwinters. Infections can lead up to 20% yield loss, which is exacerbated by dying leaves, which fertilize the fungus. The pathogen is "Puccinia" rust fungus. "Puccinia triticina" causes "black rust", "P. recondita" causes "brown rust", and "P. striiformis" causes "yellow rust". It is the most prevalent of all the wheat rust diseases, occurring in most wheat growing regions. It causes serious epidemics in North America, Mexico and South
Mimicry in plants Mimicry in plants In evolutionary biology, mimicry in plants is where a plant organism evolves to resemble another organism physically or chemically, increasing the mimic's Darwinian fitness. Mimicry in plants has been studied far less than mimicry in animals, with fewer documented cases and peer-reviewed studies. However, it may provide protection against herbivory, or may deceptively encourage mutualists, like pollinators, to provide a service without offering a reward in return. Types of plant mimicry include Bakerian, where female flowers imitate males of the same species, Dodsonian, where flowers lure pollinators by mimicking another species of flower, Vavilovian, where a weed