Is this a fungus?

[jay]

This discoloration on the leaf is slighty "bumpy" or raised. I don't know how else to describe it. The leaf tip is almost black and the raised part a brown color. The leaf in general is pale as well.

I sprayed it with worm tea in case it is fungal and have it quarantined for now. thanks for your help again

jay

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I've had this on a few plants, and I have assumed it is rust (a form of fungus). I have been treating the plants in question with systemic fungicides that are listed as good for rust. I think they are Bayleton and propiconazole, both group 1. Here is an interesting site:
http://www.chattanoogarose.org/MOA%20Entire%20Paper.htm

I have also cut off the leaves with the rust, as it is not possible to tell if the problem is slowly spreading with the spots still on the plant. With Paphs, I under stand that rust can do a pretty good job of killing the plants, so I don't want this in my collection at all.

[jay]

I was really looking at it closer and it seems to be sunken instead of raised at the brown discoloration. Is it still rust? Or could it be from too much sun? This plant has not been tended to very well for the last 8 months or so.

What would be the original cause of the rust? How will it kill the paph? Does it do it by take over or internally?

Thanks for you help.

jay

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I don't have all that much experience with rust. This episode of mine is the first I have recognized something to be rust and I'm not even sure my strangeness is rust. However, my problem did not have any sunken quality.

I talked to Lance Birk, author of The Paphiopedilum Grower's Manual, and I recall him saying that he lost his entire collection of Paphs to rust, and finally had to get rid of the greenhouse because of the spores infesting it. Sounds like pretty horrendous stuff to me, so I am not going to let anything suspected of being rust go untreated.