kingdom of fungi fungiug1ch1-200321084448.pdf

Fungi
A kingdom of
their own
West Bengal State University
CBCS Botany Core III
Dr. Riddhi Datta
Department of Botany
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Government College

Fungi (singular: Fungus)
 Eukaryotic, spore bearing, achlorophyllous
organisms that generally reproduce sexually
and asexually and whose usually filamentous,
branched somatic structures are typically
surrounded by cell walls containing chitin or
cellulose, or both of these substances,
together with many other complex organic
molecules.
 Fungus : Derived from ‘fungour’ meaning ‘to
flourish’
Fungi
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Salient features
 Habitat:
 Universal in occurrence.
 Mainly terrestrial, in damp, shady places rich in organic
compounds.
 Some lower fungi can be aquatic living on
decomposing matters in water (ex: Saprolegnia
litoralis).
 Some may live parasitically.
Terrestrial Aquatic Parasitic
Dr. Riddhi Datta

 Thallus structure:
 Simple thallus-like structure without major
differentiation.
 Mostly filamentous.
 Filaments may be septate or aseptate.
 Hyphae (filaments) remains interwound to form
mycelium.
Mycelium
Salient features
Dr. Riddhi Datta

 Cell wall:
 Well defined, thin but rigid.
 Typically chitinous but cellulose and glucan may be
present (eg. oomycetes).
Salient features
Dr. Riddhi Datta

 Nucleus:
 Eukaryotic well defined
nucleus present.
 Cells may be uni- or
multinucleated.
 Thallus may be homo- or
heterokaryotic, haploid,
dikaryotic or diploid.
Salient features
Dr. Riddhi Datta

 Nutrition:
 All are heterotrophs (feeds by absorption rather than
ingestion).
 Saprophytic or parasitic in nature.
 Saprophytes may be obligate (ex: Mucor) or facultative
(ex: Phytophthora).
 Parasites may be obligate (ex: Puccinia) or facultative
(ex: Fusarium).
 Some may be symbionts (ex: mycorrhiza, lichens).
Salient features
 Reproduction:
 Sexual (i.e. nuclear fusion and meiosis).
 Parasexual (i.e. involves nuclear fusion followed by
gradual de-diplodization).
 Asexual (i.e. purely mitotic division). Dr. Riddhi Datta

Thallus organization
 The assimilative body or soma of a fungus is a thallus which is a
simple growth without any differentiation into true root, stem and
leaves.
 Fungal thallus typically consists of microscopic tubular thread-like
hypha that remains interwoven into a net-like structure called
mycelium.
 However, some lower group of fungi lives as single cell.
 A range of thallus organization can be seen in among the various
members of kingdom Fungi.
Dr. Riddhi Datta

A. Non-mycelial thallus:
 The thallus is a single microscopic cell, spherical,
ellipsoidal, tubular or irregular in shape.
 They are basically unicellular with a true well defined cell
wall.
Example: Yeast
Dr. Riddhi Datta

B. Pseudo-mycelial thallus:
 In some cases, unicellular cells produce bud cells in
succession. These cells may remain attached to one
another in a chain.
 Such a chain of buds is referred to as pseudo-mycelium.
Example: Yeast
Dr. Riddhi Datta

C. Mycelial thallus:
 In most of the fungi the thallus is filamentous, composed
of hyphae.
 The hyphae are tubular and thread-like and remains
interwoven to form mycelium.
 Hyphae may be septate or aseptate.
Dr. Riddhi Datta

I. Aseptate hyphae:
 These are characteristic of the Oomycetes and Zygomycetes.
 The mycelium is made up of aseptate hyphae.
 Presence of numerous nuclei lying in a mass of cytoplasm in the
hyphae. Such a hypha is called coenocytic hypha.
 However, septum may be formed at the time of reproduction to
delimit the reproductive part from the vegetative part.
Example: Mucor
Dr. Riddhi Datta

II. Septate hyphae:
 These are characteristics of the Ascomycetes,
Basidiomycetes and Deuteromycetes where the hyphae
are septate.
 Each hyphal segment is an entire cell consisting of one
or more nuclei.
 There are two types of septa:
 Primary septa
 Adventitious septa
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Septum types:
1. Primary Septa:
In Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes, septa are formed in
association with true mitotic or meiotic division and
separate daughter cells are formed.
2. Adventitious Septa:
These are found in lower groups of fungi as Zygomycetes.
They are formed in the absence of true mitosis or meiosis
and occur usually with changes in the local concentration of
cytoplasm as it moves from one part of hypha to another.
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Septum types:
Septa may be simple or complex. But all types appear
to form by centripetal growth from hyphal wall inward.
1. Simple Septa:
In most cases the septum possesses a central pore
which maintains protoplasmic connections between
adjacent cells.
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Septum types:
2. Complex Septa:
 In complex type, the septum wall
near the pore is swollen to form a
barrel-like structure. This type of
septum is referred to as a dolipore
septum. The word ‘dolipore’ has
been derived from the Latin word
‘Dolium’ meaning a large jar.
 A membranous structure called
septal pore cap or parenthosome is
present in the cytoplasm on either
side of the dolipore.
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Dimorphism:
Some species of fungi can exist as both hyphal or unicellular
forms during different stages of their life cycle. They are said
to be dimorphic.
Example: Candida albicans are unicellular when they are
inside their human host, while remain mycellial when grown
in culture medium.
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Holocarpic and eucarpic thallus:
In simple lower groups of fungi, the entire thallus, at maturity,
becomes converted into reproductive structure. Such a
thallus is called holocarpic.
Example: Synchitrium
In most other fungi, the mature thallus is differentiated into a
vegetative (somatic) part which absorbs nutrients and a
reproductive part. Such a thallus is called eucarpic.
Example: Rhizopus
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Nutrition
 The fungi lack chlorophyll. Therefore, they cannot synthesize their own
food.
 They are heterotrophs (feeds by absorption rather than ingestion).
 They are saprophytic or parasitic in nature.
 Saprotrophs/ Saprophytes:
o They obtain food from dead and decaying organic matter.
o They secrete digesting enzymes to outside which digest the
substratum, convert complex organic molecules to simpler forms
and then absorb these nutrients.
o Saprophytes may be:
 obligate (ex: Mucor)
 facultative (ex: Phytophthora). Dr. Riddhi Datta

Nutrition
 Parasites:
o They obtain food from living hosts.
o Parasites may be:
 obligate (ex: Puccinia)
 facultative (ex: Fusarium)
o The parasitic fungi that grow on surface of host cells and absorb food through
haustoria are called ectoparasites or ectophytic parasites (ex: Erisphae).
o When parasitic fungi grow inside the host tissue, they are called endoparasites
or endophytic parasites (ex: Puccinia).
 Symbionts:
o They live in mutualistic relationship with another organism by which both are
benefited.
o Lichens are symbiotic associations between fungi and algae. The fungal
partner provides water and nutrients, while the algal partner prepares food by
photosynthesis.
o Mycorrhizae are the mutualistic symbiotic associations between soil fungi and
the roots of most plant species.
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Nutrition
Basic nutritional needs of fungi:
 A suitable organic compound as a source of carbon and energy
 A suitable source of nitrogen
 Inorganic ions of sulphur, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium in
significant amounts
 Inorganic ions of iron, zinc, copper, manganese and molybdenum only
in minute traces
 Certain vitamins or organic growth factors in trace amounts
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Cell structure
 Cells are typically eukaryotic.
 Plastids absent.
 Broadly there are 4 major structural components:
 Cell wall
 Cytoplasm and membranes
 Organelles
 Inclusions
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Ultrastructure of fungal cell
Cell structure
Dr. Riddhi Datta

 Cell wall
 A dynamic structure; subjected to modification at different stages
of life cycle.
 Composed of a microfibrillar skeleton on the inner side which is
embedded in an amorphous matrix that extends to the outer
surface of the wall.
 The microfibrillar skeleton is made up of chitin.
Cell wall
 Chitin is most common which is sometimes replaced by
cellulose.
 The matrix is composed of proteins, mannans and glucans.
Dr. Riddhi Datta

 The mature wall is made up of 4 integrating but coaxially
distributed regions:
 Outer most layer: mixed amorphous glucans; 80-90 nm
 The reticulum: glycoproteins in form of a coarse reticulum embedded
in heterogeneous matrix of amorphous glucan; 40-50 nm
 Discrete layer of protein; 8-10 nm
 Inner most layer: randomly arranged chitin microfibrils intermixed with
proteins; 20 nm
Cell wall
chitin
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Chemical structure
 Varies greatly.
 Two notables features of fungal cell wall includes:
 Chemical heterogeneity
 Lack of cellulose in most cases
 Generally the cell wall is composed of:
 80-90% polysaccharides
 1-15% proteins
 2-10% lipid
 The skeletal component is highly crystalline and water insoluble
composed of chitin, β-linked glucans and chitin.
 Matrix consists of water soluble polysaccharides like α-linked
glucans and glycoproteins.
Cell wall
Dr. Riddhi Datta

 The most important component is chitin. It is a polymer of N-
acetylglucosamine linked by β(1,4) glycosidic linkages.
 Chitin makes up 3-60% of the dry mass of the wall and is
associated with non-cellulosic β(1,3)- and β(1,6)-linked glucans.
In addition some α(1,3)- and α(1,4)-linked glucans may also be
present.
Structure of chitin
Cell wall
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Reproduction
Reproduction is the biological process by which new "offspring"
individual organisms are produced from their "parents".
Fungi have 3 types of reproductions:
Vegetative
Asexual
Sexual
In addition, some fungal members exhibit parasexuality which is
unique to the fungal kingdom.
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Reproduction
VEGETATIVE REPRODUCTION
 It is the type of reproduction where the somatic portion of the fungal
thallus directly forms new individuals without formation of the spores
or other specialized structures.
 Vegetative reproduction takes place by the following methods:
1. Fragmentation
2. Fission
3. Budding
4. Rhizomorphs
5. Sclerotia
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Reproduction
 Fragmentation:
 In this process, the mycelium breaks into two or more similar
fragments either accidentally or due to some external force.
 Each fragment grows into a new mycelium under favorable
conditions.
 Fission:
 In unicellular fungi like the fission yeast, the single cell multiplies by
fission.
 Here, the parent cell elongates and divides transversely into two
daughter cells.
 The two daughter cells separate and lead independent lives.
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Reproduction
 Budding:
 The parent cell produces one or more projections or small outgrowth
called buds.
 The bud gradually enlarges and finally gets separated from the
parent cell by a cross wall.
 This bud develops into new individual yeast. Budding is common in
unicellular forms like yeast.
 Rhizornorphs:
 In some higher fungi, several hyphae may become interwoven to
form rope-like structures called rhizomorphs.
 Under unfavourable conditions rhizomorphs remain dormant but with
the onset of favourable conditions the rhizomorphs resume growth
and may also give rise to fruiting bodies.
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Reproduction
 Sclerotia:
 In some cases, the hyphae become interwoven to form a compact
mass and get surrounded by a hard covering or rind.
 Such structures are called sclerotia, remain dormant under
unfavourable conditions and germinate into new mycelia on the
return of favourable conditions.
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Reproduction
ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION
 It takes place by the formation of special reproductive cells called
spores.
 The formation of spores in fungi is called sporulation.
 Each spore develops into a new mycelium.
 These spores are produced as a result of mitosis in the parent cell and
hence they are also called mitospores.
 Spore production does not involve union of opposite gametes or
gametangia or nuclei.
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Reproduction
ASEXUAL SPORE FORMS
 Development does not involve union of nuclei or gametes or
gametangia.
 Referred to as mitospores.
 Includes the following major types:
• Oidia
• Conidiospores
• Zoospores
• Sporangiospores
• Chlamydospores
• Rust spores Dr. Riddhi Datta

Oidia
 Formed vegetatively by breaking up of hyphae into numerous pieces.
 Somewhat rectangular or rounded in shape.
 Non-motile.
 Also called arthrospore.
 Example: Coprinus sp.
Scanning electron micrograph of fission of
oidial cells into oidia. Note that each oidial
cell produces 2 oidia.
Reproduction
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Conidia (conidiospores)
 Cut off externally from the tip of a special aerial hyphae called
conidiophore (or phialides).
 Produced either singly or in chains.
 Non-motile.
 Oidial mode of conidium formation: Conidia formed by fragmentation of
hyphae into cylindrical or ovoid cells.
 Example: Penicillium sp.
Penicillium sp. showing
conidiophores bearing chain
of conidia.
Reproduction
Dr. Riddhi Datta

zoospore
 Produced endogenously within sac-like structure called
zoosporangium formed at the tip of zoosporangiophore.
 Unicellular, naked and motile.
 Bears one or two flagella (tinsel or whiplash).
 Also called swarmspore.
 Several sub-types are known.
Reproduction
Dr. Riddhi Datta

 Zoospore with single posterior whiplash flagella:
 Bears a pear-shaped head and a single posterior whiplash flagellum
(20 μm).
 A dense crescent-shaped nuclear cap surrounds the nucleus.
 The cap is rich in RNA, protein and ribosomes.
 Posses a mitochondrion at the base.
 A lipid side body situated laterally at the base.
 Example: Blastocladiella emersonii (Chytridiomycetes)
zoospore
Zoospores of Blastocladiella
emersonii viewed by phase-contrast
microscopy. nucleus (n), nuclear cap
(nc), a large mitochondrion (m),
flagellum (flag), lipid side bodies
(lip).
Reproduction
Dr. Riddhi Datta

 Zoospore with single anterior tinsel flagella:
 Bears a spherical head of around 5 μm
diameter.
 A single anterior tinsel flagellum present.
 No nuclear cap present.
 Numerous ribosomes at the posterior end of
the nucleus.
 Lipid bodies, vacuoles, dyctiosomes and ER
also present.
 Example: Rhizidomyces apophysatus
(Hypochytridiomycetes)
zoospore
Reproduction
Dr. Riddhi Datta

 Biflagellate zoospores:
 Bears a ovoid head, bluntly pointed at the anterior end with a
longitudinal groove overarched by a tip-like folds of the body the
zoospore.
 The groove gives rise to a pair of flagella.
 Heterokont, i.e. bears one whiplash and one tinsel flagellum.
 Flagella may be apical or lateral.
zoospore
 Tinsel flagellum is directed forward
(in the direction of movement).
 Whiplash flagellum is directed
backward and is longer.
 Example: Phytophthora infestans
A biflagellate zoospore
Reproduction
Dr. Riddhi Datta

zoospore
Primary and secondary zoospore:
If two different types of zoospores are produced in the life cycle, the
zoospore type produced first is called the primary zoospore and the
zoospore type produced later is called the secondary zoospore.
Reproduction
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Sporangiospore
 Produced endogenously within a sac-like globose structure called sporangium.
 The sporangium is borne at the tip of a special erect hypha called
sporangiophore.
 The sporangium has a sterile columella at the base and a fertile part above it
where the spores are produced.
 Spores are unicellular, spherical to ellipsoid, non-motile, uni- or multi-nucleate
and smooth-walled. Also called aplanospore.
 Example: Mucor mucedo
Reproduction
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Chlamydospore
Chlamydospore of Fusarium borne in chain
 Produced endogenously when terminal or intercalary hyphal cells
enlarge, rounds up, accumulate food reserves and forms a thick wall.
 Spores are unicellular, non-motile, thick-walled, dark coloured, non-
deciduous and often pigmented.
 Resting spores which may be borne in chains.
 Example: Fusarium sp.
Reproduction
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Spores of rust fungi
 Uredospore
 Formed in cluster at the tip of the hyphae.
 Each spore is stalked, unicellular, dikaryotic, rust
coloured and oblong in shape.
 Teliospore
 Overwintering resting spore.
 Spores are stalked, thick but smooth-walled,
black coloured, consists of two cells and
constricted at center.
 Initially dikaryotic but becomes diploid on
maturity.
 Aeciospore
 Formed in chains on short hyphae inside aecium
(sporangium).
 Each spore is ellipsoidal, subhyaline, yellow to
orange, unicellular and dikaryotic
Reproduction
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Reproduction
 Deuteromycota
 The division Deuteromycota is also called the Fungi Imperfecti or Imperfect
Fungi referring to our "imperfect" knowledge of their complete life cycles.
 The Deuteromycota are characterized by production of septate mycelium
and/or yeasts, and a sexual cycle that is either unknown or absent.
 Asexual reproduction is generally by means of conidia (sing.=conidium).
 Where sexual reproduction has been determined for species in this taxon, the
sexual stage is usually referable to the Ascomycota or Basidiomycota.
 Ideally, once the sexual stage has been determined, that species should be
reclassified and placed in the appropriate subdivision.
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Reproduction
 Different spore producing bodies in Deuteromycota:
 Different types of asexual spore producing bodies are found in
different orders of Deuteromycota.
 Classification schemes used to classify the Deuteromycota is artificial
and is not intended to show relationship between the taxa.
 Deuteromycota includes a single class: Deuteromycetes and four
orders: Moniliales, Sphaeropsidales, Melanconiales and Mycelia
Sterlia.
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Reproduction
 Conidiophores:
 Conidia or conidiospores are formed on conidiophores which may
be produced loosely and indiscriminately by the somatic hyphae
and not grouped into cleistothecia.
 Conidia are cut off externally from the tip of a special aerial
hyphae called conidiophore (or phialides).
 Produced either singly or in chains.
 Non-motile.
 Ex: Penicillium
 Found in Moniliales.
*Moniliales also includes fungi that produce all other asexual spore
forms. Dr. Riddhi Datta

Reproduction
 Pycnidium:
 Conidia arise in globose or flask-shaped bodies known as pycnidia.
 The conidiophores in the pycnidia are generally very short (Ex:
Phyllosticta) or in some cases almost absent (Ex: Plenodomus).
 In the pycnidia of some fungi, the conidiophores are quite long and
distinctly branched (Ex: Dendrophoma).
 In all cases, they arise from the internal cells of the pycnidial wall.
 These conidia are also called as pycnidiospores.
 Found in Sphaeropsidales
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Reproduction
 Acervulus:
 The acervulus is typically a flat, open bed of generally short
conidiophores growing side-by-side and arising from a more or less
stromatic mass of hyphae.
 Conidia are borne at the tips of the conidiophores.
 Some authors do not consider any such structure as acervulus
unless it is formed underneath the cuticle or epidermis of a host
plant and eventually becomes erumpent.
 Found in Melanconiales.
*Mycelia Sterilia includes fungi where no conidia or other reproductive
cells are known. Dr. Riddhi Datta

Reproduction
SEXUAL REPRODUCTION
It involves fusion of two compatible gametes, gametangia or
hyphae of opposite strains.
Fungal sex organs are called gametangia.
The male gametangia are called antheridia and the female ones
ascogonia.
The fungus may be homothallic, that is, the fusing gametes come
from the same mycelium or may be heterothallic, that is, the fusing
gametes come from different strains of mycelia.
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Reproduction
SEXUAL REPRODUCTION
In fungi, sexual reproduction involves the following three phases:
1. Plasmogamy:
• union of protoplasts of reproductive hyphae or cells.
• Sexual reproduction begins with plasmogamy.
• It results in the formation of dikaryotic phase (n+n).
2. Karyogamy:
• fusion of the two nuclei.
• Plasmogamy is followed by karyogamy which results in the formation of
diploid phase (2n).
3. Meiosis:
• reduction division leading to production of meiotic spores (meiospores)
• Karyogamy is sooner or later followed by meiosis which leads to the
formation of haploid phase (n).
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Reproduction
TYPES OF PLASMOGAMY
1. Planogametic Copulation:
 Here motile gametes, called planogametes, undergo fusion.
 When both the gametes are motile and morphologically similar, the
fusion process is called isogamy. E.g.: Synchytrium.
 When both the gametes are motile but differ in their size, the fusion
process is called anisogamy. E.g.: Allomyces.
 When one gamete (male) is smaller and motile and the other
(female) gamete is larger and non motile, the fusion process is
called heterogamy/Oogamy. E.g. Pythium
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Reproduction
2. Gametangial Contact:
 Here, gamete bearing structures, called gametangia, come closer
to each other and the wall at the site of contact dissolve to form
fertilization tube through which the male gamete migrates into the
female gametangium.
 Each gametangium is often a reduced structure like an
undifferentiated protoplast containing the male or female nucleus.
This male or female nucleus is never released from the
gametangium.
 In this case the two gametangia do not fuse or lose their
identity.
 Ex-Penicllium
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Reproduction
3. Gametangial Copulation:
 Here, the gametangia fuse with each other, lose their identity
and develop into a zygospore
 Hologamy: This is found in some holocarpic fungi where the entire
thallus acts as gametangium. The male thallus attachs itself to and
empties its entire content into the female thallus through a pore on
the gametangial wall at the point of contact. Ex: Rhizophidium
 Direct fusion: It
involves direct fusion of
the gametangia of two
opposite strains. The
contact wall dissolves
to form a common wall
in which the two
protoplasts fuses. Ex-
Mucor, Rhizopus
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Reproduction
4. Spermatization:
 In some fungi like Puccinia, tiny unicellular spore like structures
called spermatia are formed externally on special hyphae called
spermatiophore.
 Spermatia may develop inside the cavities called spermatogonia.
 The female cell may be a gametangium, a specialized receptive
hypha or even a vegetative hypha.
 The spermatia are carried by
insects, wind, etc. to the female
receptive hyphae or even a
vegetative hypha. A pore
develops at the point of contact
and the content of spermatium
pass into the receptive
structure which acts as the
female organ.
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Reproduction
5. Somatogamy:
 In higher fungi, there are no sex organs (gametangia).
 The somatic hyphae anastomose with each other to bring the
compatible nuclei together. Fusion occurs between two somatic
cells and involves only plasmogamy.
 This results in the formation of dikaryotic hyphae. Hence, the
process is called dikaryotization.
 This is also known as pseudomixis.
 Somatogamy is considered as a reduced but highly efficient form of
sexuality.
 Ex: Agaricus
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Sexual spore forms
 Development involves union of nuclei or gametes or gametangia.
 Includes the following major types:
 Ascospores
 Basidiospores
 Zygospores
 Oospores
Reproduction
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Ascospore
VTS through the ascoparp of Ascobolus sp. showing asci (left) and
close-up of asci (right)
 Characteristic spore of the class ascomycetes.
 Uni- or multicellular and non-motile.
 Produced endogenously in definite number (4 or 8) after meiosis
within a special type of sporangium called ascus.
 Example: Ascobolus sp.
Reproduction
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Basidiospore
Basidia bearing basidiospores
 Characteristic spore of the class basidiomycetes.
 Unicellular and non-motile.
 Produced after meiosis exogenously on a special type of club-shaped
structure called basidium.
 The spores are borne on stalk-like structures called sterigmata which are
present on the basidium.
 Example: Agaricus sp.
Reproduction
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Zygospore
Zygospore in Mucor sp.
 Characteristic spore of the class zygomycetes.
 Sexually formed diploid spores.
 Produced as a result of union of the two morphologically undifferentiated
gametes.
 Spores are thick and rough-walled.
 Example: Mucor sp.
Reproduction
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Oospore
Oospore in Pythium sp.
 Characteristic spore of the class oomycetes. Also found in some
ascomycetes.
 Sexually formed diploid spores.
 Produced as a result of union of the two morphologically differentiated
gametes, i.e. male and female.
 Spores are smooth-walled.
 Example: Pythium sp.
Reproduction
Dr. Riddhi Datta

 TYPES OF SPOROCARPS
 In fungi, the sporocarp (also known as fruiting body or fruit
body) is a multicellular structure on which spore-producing
structures, such as basidia or asci, are born.
 The fruit body is part of the sexual phase of a fungal life cycle,
while the rest of the life cycle is characterized by vegetative
mycelial growth and asexual spore production.
 The sporocarp of basidiomycota is known as a "basidiocarp" or
"basidiome", while the fruit body of an ascomycota is known as an
"ascocarp".
 Various morphologies are found in both basidiocarps and
ascocarps which play an important role in the identification and
taxonomy of fungi.
Reproduction
Dr. Riddhi Datta

TYPES OF SPOROCARPS
 Boletes:
 Boletes are fleshy like ordinary mushrooms. Unlike
mushrooms which have gills, a bolete has a spongy layer
of pores. The caps vary in diameter from just a couple of
centimetres to a metre.
 Ex: Phlebopus
 Polypores:
 Polypores mostly grow on dead or living wood and are vary
from hoof-shaped to merely thin plates.
 While some are relatively soft, the majority are of tough
consistency, from corky to rock-hard, with spore-releasing
pores on their undersides.
 They remain attached to the wood by their edges and stick
out like brackets.
 Vary from one to 20 centimetres in diameter, but can be
larger.
 Ex: Polyporus
Reproduction
Dr. Riddhi Datta

TYPES OF SPOROCARPS
 Stinkhorns
 Stinkhorns come in various shapes but all contain a
brownish slime. They smell like faeces or rotting meat
when they first appear.
 Ex: Anthurus
 Puffballs
 At maturity, the bulk of the fruit body consists of powdery
spores. Mature puffballs are simply bags of spores, with
the bag being somewhat elastic. At the top of the bag is a
small opening called ostiole. Puffballs are no more than a
few centimetres in diameter.
 Ex: Bovista
Reproduction
Dr. Riddhi Datta

TYPES OF SPOROCARPS
 Birds-nest fungi:
 Birds-nest fungi are small, steep-sided cups (up to a
centimetre across and of similar height) which contain small
disk-like spores, giving the appearance of eggs in a nest.
 The cups are generally creamy to grey to light brown.
 Ex: Cyathus
 Cannonball fungi
 The cup of the Cannonball Fungus is shallow and only about
2mm across. Each cup contains only one 'cannonball'. When
immature the whole fruiting body is a closed sphere.
 Ex: Sphaerobolus stellatus
Reproduction
Dr. Riddhi Datta

TYPES OF SPOROCARPS
 Coral fungi:
 Usually found on soil but sometimes on rotting wood, may be
simple fleshy clubs or intricately branched coral-like forms in
various colours. Generally they are no more than a few
centimetres in height but some species may grow 15-20
centimetres tall.
 Ex: Clavaria
 Jelly-fungi:
 Jelly-fungi look like gelatinous blobs and grow on rotting
wood. They are generally quite rubbery in consistency,
surprisingly robust and include white, yellow and brown
species. They vary in size from a few millimetres to several
centimetres in diameter.
 Ex: Tremella
Reproduction
Dr. Riddhi Datta

TYPES OF SPOROCARPS
 Cup fungi:
 Cup or disk fungi are either flat disks or shallow cups on soil,
dung or wood. They vary from less than a millimetre to
several centimetres in diameter and appear in colours such
as black, white, orange, brown, and yellow. Some are on
short stalks while others are stalkless
 Ex: Peziza
 Flask fungi:
 These fungi produce their spores in tiny, generally globose,
chambers (called perithecia) which are mostly under a
couple of millimetres in diameter - often no more than a
millimetre
 Ex: Nectria
Reproduction
Dr. Riddhi Datta

Thank you
for
your patience

Dr. Riddhi Datta

kingdom of fungi fungiug1ch1-200321084448.pdf

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