Phragmidium determined

So the Phragmidium turned out to be P.violaceum. Different sources reckoned that violaceum was either primarily 3-septate or 4-septate, and bulbosum was mostly 5-septate but up to 7 or so.

As it turned out this example was c.70% 3-septate and 30% 4-septate on a random sample and never more than that. It also has a nice yellow beak which was mentioned somewhere (but which could be common to both species).

Because it's so cool I'm probably going to go overboard with the photos, but I can't help it.Note that the yellow spots are actually raised bumps, although it's diffitult to see in 2-d.

The march of the vasculars (and a second rust based on them!)

So the year started with a sprint on bryophytes and a steady progression of bird species, and they still make up the lion's share of the total. However, every day now the vascular plants are stacking up and Germander Speedwell is the latest addition to the list, flowering on the reserve path. #214

A rust found below the leaf (or on the adaxial side!) of a Rubus sp. was Phragmidium bulbosum, another common and familiar sight. I'm looking forward to putting it under the microscope. Could prove to be P.violaceum. Whether I can tell the difference is another question(I read that "P. bulbosum has mostly 5 septa, P. violaceum mostly 3" - let's see)