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Glite Dictionary
🍄 A plant fungus 🍄 A fungus genus
Ustilago

Ustilago

9.9
A fungus that makes dark, dusty growth on grain plants like wheat and corn
  • noun
  • /juːˈstɪl.ə.ɡoʊ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Ustilago
  • Ustilago is responsible for smut infections in many cereal crops.

Examples

  • Control measures for Ustilago are essential in modern agriculture.

  • The Ustilago genus includes various species that affect crops.

  • Researchers discovered a new species within the Ustilago genus affecting maize.

  • Farmers are concerned about Ustilago infections in their fields.

  • The fungus Ustilago maydis is notorious for damaging corn crops.

  • Farmers often struggle with the impacts of Ustilago infections in their fields.

  • Researchers are studying the effects of Ustilago on wheat and barley growth.

Surface Forms

Ustilago singular
Ustilagos plural

Etymology

Ustilago comes from the old Latin word ustilago, linked to the root ust- meaning 'to burn', because the fungus makes black, soot-like patches that look burned on plants. So Ustilago today names a group of smut fungi that cause these dark, burnt-looking spots on cereal crops.