Smut
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from Smuts)
A smut is a kind of fungus allied to mushrooms, mostly Ustilaginomycetes (of the class Teliomycetae, subphylum Basidiomycota), that causes plant disease.
Smuts affect grasses (including cereal crops) and maize. They initially attack the plant's reproductive system, forming galls which darken and burst, releasing fungal spores which infect other plants nearby.
An infection of smuts is controlled by removing and destroying infected plants. Corn smut, which infects maize, is sometimes sold as a delicacy.
