Puccinia is a genus of fungi. All species in this genus are obligate plant pathogens and are known as rusts. The genus contains about 4000 species. Examples of Puccinia rusts and the diseases they cause: The rust species Puccinia obtegens has shown some promise for controlling Canada thistle, but it must be used in conjunction with other control m... Found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puccinia