WildBristol.uk - Discovering Wildlife in Bristol

Widespread but local throughout the UK. It is probably under recorded. Habitat includes: Anywhere with Sycamore e.g. gardens, parks, allotments, churchyards, hedgerows, woodland, scrub, farmland etc. Life story: Grows on various Maple species where the foliage becomes affected by small grey lesions which expand and coalesce, the leaves later wilting and falling from the tree early. The fungus develops on the surface of the leaf blades. At first there are scattered water-soaked grey spots about 1 mm in diameter, but as the disease progresses, these lesions expand and coalesce and much of the leaf surface may be affected. Fruiting bodies resembling tiny white pinheads develop on either the upper or lower side (or both) of the leaf, particularly near the veins. Small black sclerotia may also form. At some stage the leaves wilt and eventually fall prematurely The disease seems to be associated with cool wet summers, and epidemic years sometimes occur. Other names include: Grey Mold Spot, Sycamore Leaf Spot, Bull's Eye Spot.