Puccinia monoica is a spectacular plant parasitic rust fungus that triggers the formation of flower-like structures (pseudoflowers) in its Brassicaceae host plant Boechera stricta. Pseudoflowers mimic in shape, color, nectar and scent co-occurring and unrelated flowers such as buttercups. They act to attract insects thereby aiding spore dispersal and sexual reproduction of the rust fungus. ... [G]ene expression profiling ... point[s] to an extensive reprogramming of host genes by the rust pathogen to induce floral mimicry.

- Cano LM, Raffaele S, Haugen RH, Saunders DGO, Leonelli L, MacLean D, et al.: (2013) Major Transcriptome Reprogramming Underlies Floral Mimicry Induced by the Rust Fungus Puccinia monoica in Boechera stricta^©