Corn smut is a fungus that grows on the ears of maize. It's largely been bred out of our commercial fields, but you can still find some here and there. It grows on several of the heirloom maize varieties I grow for flour... and I'm stoked when I find it! The fungus makes grey, smooth, and enlarged galls from the corn kernels. I love making huitlacoche soup from the immature fungus. Sadly, I'm too late. The galls have burst to release the black fungal spores. Better luck next year!

Hey... you wanna see some smut? #cornsmut! I love finding the immature fungus on my corn because it makes AMAZING #huitlacoche soup.

Too late for this one - the mature fungus burst black spores all over the top of this cob.

Corn Smut (Mycosarcoma maydis) transforms corn’s biochemistry, upping antioxidants and adding a surprising twist to traditional dishes. Could this unexpected corn guest spark a culinary revolution? #FungiExplained #CornSmut #Mycology

Ustilago maydis ex Zea mays

#Ustilagomaydis #Ustilago #Brandpilz #Brand #smut #smutfungus #Zea #Zeamays #Mais #Maisbeulenbrand #Maisbrand #Cornsmut #huitlacoche #Charbondumaïs #cuitlacoche #mushroom #mushrooms #fungus #fungi #pilz #pilze #champignons #champignon #nature #natur #Phytopatholgoy

Ustilago maydis ex Zea mays

#Ustilagomaydis #Ustilago #Brandpilz #Brand #smut #smutfungus #Zea #Zeamays #Mais #Maisbeulenbrand #Maisbrand #Cornsmut #huitlacoche #Charbondumaïs #cuitlacoche #mushroom #mushrooms #fungus #fungi #pilz #pilze #champignons #champignon #nature #natur #Phytopatholgoy

🌽✨ My corn caught smut — which means I get to try the strange Mexican truffle, huitlacoche! 🍄 Last week’s wet and then heat made it humid, and now it looks like harvest time. A rare garden surprise turned delicacy. 💙
#Huitlacoche #CornSmut #GardenSurprise #Foraging

An ear of corn in a field absolutely wrecked by corn smut. The smut looks like large grey packing peanuts stuck to the ear of corn.

More smut.

Big smuts.

Posting smut on main #Ustilago #CornSmut #PlantPathology #Mycology