Summary:
Cumminsiella mirabilissima is included as an example of the Uredinales (rust fungi). The rust fungi all grow on vascular plants, and often have very narrow host ranges. They do not have basidium producing fruitbodies, because basidia are produced from overwintering spores. There are up to five different types of spores specialized for different parts of the life cycle, and often two separate hosts that are taxonomically unrelated to each other. C. mirabilissima is an "autoecious" rust [all stages on one host], with its stages on Mahonia species (Oregon grape). The description is derived from Silverside(1), accessed October 20, 2004.

Microscopic:
Aecial spores have a portion of the wall characteristically yellow-pigmented (shown in the fifth illustration). Teliospores have "two, rounded, more or less equal cells, on a long pedicel", while urediniospores are "pear-shaped, thick-walled and minutely spiny": these are both shown in the sixth illustration.

Notes:
C. mirabilissima is found in BC (Ginns) and presumably widely in the Pacific Northwest through the range of Mahonia.

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Godronia urceolus var. confertus Hone