`

Glossary of Mycological Terms

AllABCDEFGHLMNOPRSTVZ
A
Anamorph
An asexual state of a fungus.
Ascocarp
A fruiting body containing asci and ascospores.
Ascomycetes
A group of fungi that reproduce sexually by the endogenous formation of ascospores in an ascus.
Ascospore
A haploid spore produced within an ascus following karyogamy and meiosis.
Ascus (pl. asci)
A sac-like cell containing ascospores. Asci are characteristic of the Ascomycetes.
Aseptate
Lacking septa, often pertaining to the hyphae seen in zygomycetes (also see coenocytic).
B
Basidiomycetes

A group of fungi that reproduce sexually by the exogenous formation of basidiospores from a basidium.
Basidiospore

A haploid spore produced on a basidium following karyogamy and meiosis.
Basidium (pl. basidia)
A cell that gives rise to a basidiospore. Basidia are characteristic of the Basidiomycetes.
Basipetal
A chain of conidia, the oldest conidium is at the apex and the youngest is at the base.
C
Catenulate
Conidia arranged in chains.
Clamp connection
A specialized hyphal bridge over a septum in the Basidiomycetes.
Clavate
Club-shaped.
Cleistothecium (pl. cleistothecia)
An enclosed ascocarp containing randomly dispersed asci.
Collarette
A small collar. Usually, a remnant of a cell wall present at the tip of a phialide, or around a sporangiophore.
Columella (pl. columellae)
A sterile dome-like structure at the tip of a sporangiophore or within a sporangium.
Conidiogenous cell
A cell that forms conidia.
Conidiophore
A specialized hypha upon which conidia develop.
Conidium (pl. conidia)
An asexual reproductive propagule formed in any manner that does not involve cytoplasmic cleavage. Conidia function as organs of dissemination.
Cottony
Having a loose and coarse texture.
Cylindrical
Cylindric, having parallel walls and circular cross-section.
D
Dematiaceous
A dark brown, greenish gray or black colour.
Denticle
A small projection or peg on which conidia are produced.
Dichotomous
A type of hyphal branching into two equal forks.
Dictyoconidium (pl. dictyoconidia)
A conidium with both longitudinal and transverse septa; a muriform conidium.
Didmoconidium (pl. didymoconidia)
A two celled conidium.
Dimorphic
Having two different morphological forms.
Dolipore septum
A characteristic septum found in the Basidiomycetes that flares out near the pore to form an elongate channel.
Double septum
A two layered septum that may undergo centripetal separation (schizolysis) to release a conidium.
E
Echinulate
Covered with delicate spines.
Effuse
Spread out, radiate.
Elliptical
Oval, with a symmetric curve.
Elongate
Lengthened.
Endospore
A spore produced within a spherule.
Erect

Upright.
Evanescent
Disappearing.
Exudate
Droplets of fluid formed on the surface of a colony.
F
Falcate
Curved like a sickle.
Flexuous

Wavy.
Floccose
Fluffy or cottony.
Fusiform
Spindle-shaped, tapering toward the end.
G
Geniculate

Bent like a knee.
Glabrous

Smooth.
Gloiospora
Conidia aggregated in slimy heads at the tip of an annellide or phialide.
Guttulate
Containing one or more oil droplets.
Gymnothecium (pl. gymnothecia)
A non-ostiolate ascocarp composed of loosely interwoven hyphae and containing randomly dispersed asci.
H
Hyaline
Colorless.
Hyalo-
A prefix meaning hyaline to lightly colored.
Hypha (pl. hyphae)
A single filament of a fungus.
Hyphomycetes
A class of mycelial moulds which reproduce asexually by conidia on hyphae or aggregations of hyphae.
L
Lageniform
Flask-shaped.
Lanceolate
Lance-shaped.
Lanose
Woolly.
Lateral
On the side.
Lenticular
Shaped like a double convex lens.
M
Mucoid

Sticky or slimy.
Multiseptate

Having several septa.
Muriform
A conidium with both longitudinal and transverse septa.
Hysterobrevium mori
Mycelium (pl. mycelia)
The mass of hyphae making up the thallus of a fungus.
N
Nonseptate
Without septa.
O
Obclavate
Club-shaped in reverse; the distal region is smaller.
Obpyriform
Pear-shaped in reverse; the distal region is larger.
Olivaceous
Olive-grey color.
Ostiole
An opening or pore in an ascocarp or a pycnidium.
Ovoid
Egg-shaped.
P
Pectinate
Like the teeth of a comb.
Pedicel
A slender stalk.
Peridium
The outer wall of an ascocarp.
Perithecium (pl. perithecia)
An enclosed ascocarp characterized an apical ostiole and by asci arranged in a basal tuft or hymenium layer.
Phaeo-
A prefix meaning darkly pigmented.
Pleomorphic
Having more than one form.
Poroconidium (pl. poroconidia)
A conidium produced through a small pore in a conidiogenous cell.
Pruinose
Covered with whitish dust or bloom

Genus Russula
Pseudohyphae
A string of elongated blastoconidia formed in some yeasts that resemble a hypha-like filament.
Pycnidium (pl. pycnidia)
An asexual fruiting body containing conidia.
Pyriform
Pear-shaped.
R
Rhizoids
A short branching root-like hyphae seen in some Zygomycetes.
S
Sclerotium (sclerotia)
A mass of thick-walled cells formed by the vegetative hyphae that function as an organ of perennation.
Septum (pl. septa)
A cross wall in a hypha.
Solitary
Alone.
Spinulose
Covered in small spines.
Sporangiolum (pl. )
A small sporangium producing a small number of sporangiospores.
Sporangiophore
A specialized hypha that bears a sporangium.
Sporangium (pl. sporangia)
A sac-like structure producing asexual spores endogenously by cytoplasmic cleavage.
Spore
A reproductive propagule formed by either meiosis or mitosis. However, if by asexual means, cleavage of cytoplasm is usually involved.
Sporodochium (pl. sporodochia)
A cushion-shaped mass of hyphae bearing conidiophores.
Stellate
Star-shaped.
Sterigma (pl. sterigmata)
A small pointed structure upon which a basidiospore forms.
Stolon
A running hypha from which rhizoids and sporangiospores arise.
Striate
Having lines or minute furrows.
Subglobose
Not quite round or spherical.
T
Teleomorph
The sexual state of a fungus.
Truncate
Cut off sharply.
Tuberculate
Having small wart-like structures.
V
Verrucose
Having many warts.
Verticillate
Having branches arranged in verticils or whorls.
Z
Zygospores

A thick-walled sexual spore formed by the fusion of two similar gametangia; characteristic of the Zygomycetes.