Auto Glossary

-mycota

The recommended ending of the name of fungal phyla.

a-

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aboospore

An asexually-produced (parthenogenetic) oospore.

abrupt

Terminating suddenly; appearing to be cut off transversely; truncate. For example, the stipe of some Hohenbuehelia has this characteristic.

abscission

Separation, such as a spore detaching from a sporogenous cell. From Latin abscissio, breaking off.

abstriction

A method of spore formation in fungi characterized by abjunction and then abscission. Spores are produced in a sporogenous filament. In abjunction,...

acidophilous

acidophilic Organisms that can grow in high-acidity environments; in mycology, lichens that can grow in peaty soil or on acidic tree bark.

acropetal

A chain of conidia where new spores are formed at the apex, with the oldest at the base. Compare with basipetal.

acropleurogenous

The acropleurogenous Trichothecium roseum, with conidia on sides and at apex pleuroacrogenous Formed at the apex and along the sides; e.g. conidia ...

adiaspore

Conidium of Emmonsia parva. A large spore that increases notably in size, but does not divide. Upon being inhalted in the lungs of humans and anima...

adnate

attached, adherent Adhering; attached to the stipe throughout its width, esp. of lamellae or tubes. Compare with free.

aero-aquatic fungi

Aquatic fungi that grow in water, but spread their spores via air.

aethalium

pl. aethalia The relatively large fruiting body of many slime molds (Myxomycetes). From Gr. aíthalos, soot.

agaric

An agaric, with gills on the underside of the pileus A member of the order Agaricales; a mushroom or toadstool. Contains many iconic and highly stu...

algicolous

Living on algae.

amerospore

A single-celled, non-septate cell in mitosporic fungi; compare with dictyospore and phragmospore.

anamorph

Imperfect state An asexual state of a fungus, characterized by the presence of conidia and the absence of sexual spores.

anastomosis

Fusion between branches of hyphae to make a network.

annellidic

Magnified view of Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, its annellides, and the ring-shaped annellations emanating from them A type of blastic conidiogenesis...

annular

1.  Ring-like; an arrangement in the style of a ring.

annulus

apical veil A ring-like covering around the stipe after expansion of the pileus.

antheridium

pl. antheridia, antherid The male sexual organ (gametangium) of fungi. Produces either antherozoids (flagellate gametes or sperm) or gametic nuclei.

apical

acro- At the tip or end (apex).

apiculus

A short projection at the end of a spore.

aplanospore

A non-motile asexual spore in some Zygomycetes, contained in globose sporangia or cylindrical merosporangia. From Gr. planos, roaming.

apodial

apodal, apodous, sessile Having no stem or pedicel, such as a pileus lacking a stipe and directly attached to the substrate. Found in sporangia of ...

apophysis

A swelling or a swollen filament. Associated with the swollen end of a sporangiophore in Mucorales or the protuberance found beneath the sporocarp ...

apothecium

pl. apothecia, discocarp A type of fruiting body that, at maturity, opens to expose the hymenium of asci; commonly assumes shape of a cup or saucer...

appressed

applanate Flattened, or closely applied; e.g. of scales or fibers.

appressorium

pl. appresoria A swelling at the end of a germ tube or other hypha that adheres to the surface of its host and penetrates it with infection hyphae....

aquatic fungi

hydrofungi Fungi that live in water. Sometimes subdivided into freshwater-living fungi and marine fungi for saltwater-living fungi. Freshwater fung...

archicarp

The cell, hypha, or coil of Ascomycetes that later becomes the ascoma, or part of it.

ardella

A small spot-like apothecium, as in the lichen Arthonia. From Latin ardere, to sprinkle.

areola

aerole A delimited space on a surface, separated from others by fissures or cracks.

arthric

thallic-arthric A method of thallic conidiogenesis that converts a hyphal element into a conindium (also called an arthrospore), fragmenting the hy...

asc-

asco-, ascidi- A prefix meaning sac, bladder, or ascus. From Gr. askós, vessel, bag, or wineskin.

ascoma

ascocarp; pl. ascomata The asci-bearing fruiting body of Ascomycetes.

Ascomycota

A truffle from a Rhizopogon, one of the ascomycetes Ascomycetes, sac fungi A phylum of fungi characterized by the presence of an ascus, a sac-like ...

ascospore

Spores formed in the developing ascus, generally as a result of karyogamy (nuclear fusion) followed by meiosis. Commonly, four haploid daughter nuc...

ascus

pl. asci The reproductive cell of ascomycetes; where ascospores form and are contained. While sometimes traditionally restricted to only sexual rep...

assimilative

vegetative, somatic Hyphae related to growth, nutrition, and asexual reproduction as opposed to sexual reproduction; the soma.

autochthonous

1.  Indigenous, especially to a type of soil or earth.

azygospore

A spore close in form to a zygospore, but developed asexually (parthogenesis). Found in many species of Mucorales and some species of Entomophthora...

ballistospore

A forcibly discharged basidiospore; the most typical kind. Compare with statismospore. From Latin ballista.

basidioma

A typical basidioma, showing fruiting body, hymenium, and basidia basidiocarp, pl. basidiomata A basidium-producing organ; the fruiting body of Bas...

Basidiomycota

A Lactarius indigo, a milk-cap mushroom and basidiomycete Basidiomycetes A phylum of fungi. Generally defined by sexual reproduction via basidiospo...

basidiospore

A propagative sexual spore produced on a basidium, typically following karyogamy and meiosis, typically containing one or two haploid nuclei.

basidium

pl. basidia A cell or organ where basidiospores are produced, generally four. Basidia are characteristic of basidiomycetes. From Greek basis, base.

basipetal

A chain of conidia in which new spores are formed at the base and the oldest are at the apex. Compare with acropetal.

blastic

One of the two basic forms of conidiogenesis, with thallic conidiogenesis. Characterized by the enlargement of the conidia initial before it is del...

blastospore

An asexual spore that forms by budding. One of the conidia types that can be produced in blastic conidiogenesis. Examples include yeasts such as Ca...

bolete

An iconic variety of mushroom characterized by fleshy fruit bodies and a poroid hymenophore (marked by pores rather than the gill-marked cap of aga...

budding

gemmation A type of asexual cellular multiplication. A small outgrowth or bud from a parent cell enlarges and eventually separates from the parent ...

bulbil

A compact multicellular propagule, with its thin-walled, undifferentiated cells produced in acropetal succession from the hyphae. Superficially res...

capitulum

sphaeridium The stalked, globose, apical apothecium of lichens of the order Caliciales.

capsule

Magnification of the yeast Cryptococcus neoformans; the capsules are the circular outer borders of the yeast cells. A clear, gelatinous covering or...

carp-

carpo-, -carp Combining forms meaning "fruit". From Gr. karpós, fruit.

catenate

Catenulate Arranged in chains or end-to-end series. Catenulate is the diminutive form for small chains. From Latin catena, a chain.

chitin

A nitrogen-containing polysaccharide found in many fungal cell walls, generally as part of a chitin-glucan complex. From Gr. chiton, tunic.

Chitomycetes

An obsolete division of fungi, meaning possessing mycelium; subsumed by Eumycota in later literature.

chitosome

A small spheroidal organelle in many fungi that synthesizes chitin using chitin synthase zymogen, to use for cell wall synthesis.

chlamydospore

A 200x magnification of Candida albicans, including a chlamydospore An asexual thick-walled spore developed from hyphae, generally for perennation ...

Chytridiomycota

Chytridomycetes A phylum of fungi. Informally known as chytrids. Characterized by chitinous cell walls and reproduction via zoospores, which are us...

cirrus

cirrhus; spore horn A curl-like tuft; usually refers to a tendril-like mass of forced-out spores.

clamp connection

Clamp connection formation between two nuclei (one in green, the other orange) clamp, fibula A hyphal outgrowth that makes a connection during cell...

clavate

Narrowing at the base and then thickening; club-shaped.

cleistothecium

pl. cleistothecia A closed fruit body that has no pre-defined opening; opens by rupture. Seen, e.g., in ascoma of Thielavia or in Erysiphales.

Coelomycetes

An artificial taxon for mitosporic fungi with pycnidial and acervular states, i.e. they form their spores in an internal cavity. From Gtk. koilos, ...

coeno-

Prefix meaning "multinucleate". From Gr. koinós, shared or in common.

coenocytic

Hyphae that lack septa and are multi-nucleate; seen in Zygomycota and Oomycota. From Gr. kytos, cell. Distinct from a synctium, a multinucleate str...

colony

A massed group of hyphae and spores of a single species, especially if all are grown from a single spore (e.g. in a lab).

columella

pl. columellae A sterile central axis within a fruiting body (sporocarp) or sporangium.

complicate

Bent or folded on itself. From Latin plicare, to fold.

conidiogenesis

The process of producing conidia. Subdivided into blastic and thallic conidiogenesis.

conidiogenous

Producing conidia. Generally used as "conidiogenous cell", fertile cells that produce conidia; or "conidiogenous locus", for the particular point o...

conidioma

pl. conidiomata Any multi-hyphal, conidia-bearing structure. An umbrella term that includes various traditional conidia-bearing structures such as ...

conidiophore

fertile hypha A specialized hypha bearing or consisting of conidiogenous cells upon which conidia develop.

conidium

pl. conidia A thin-walled, asexual spore borne on specialized hypha known as conidiophores. From Gr. konidion, diminutive of konis (dust).

coprophilous

Growing or living on animal dung.

cortex

rind A thick outer-covering or rind, generally of a fruiting body. From Latin cortice, bark.

corticolous

Living on tree bark.

cortina

A cobweb-like cortina of Cortinarius claricolor Of agarics, the remnants of the partial veil, frequently web-like, that covers mature gills. Thin a...

crozier

ascus crook The hook of an ascogenous hypha before development of the ascus.

cruciate

In the form of a cross.

crustose

crustaceous Crust-like or having a hard surface layer, e.g. in a sporocarp; in lichens, a thallus firmly fixed to the substratum by the whole of th...

cyphella

pl. cyphellae A break in the lower cortex of a lichen thallus which appears as a cup-like structure or marking. Characteristic of Sticta. From Gr. ...

cyst

1.  A sac or cavity.

cystidium

Cystidia A large, sterile cell on the surface of a basidioma, particularly the hymenium from which it frequently projects.

dentate

Toothed, e.g. of gills.

denticle

A small, tooth-like projection, especially one on which spores are borne.

dermatophyte

A parasitic fungus that focuses on tissue with keratin (skin, hair, nails) of humans and animals. Associated with the genera Epidermophyton, Micros...

dermatophytosis

A cow's head afflicted by dermatophytosis ringworm, tinea The skin condition caused by a dermatophyte infection.

dichotomous

Forking into roughly equal pairs, often repeatedly, e.g. in hyphal branching. Compare with monopodial.

dictyospore

(1) An amerospore with no intersecting septa; (2) a didyomospore with a single intersecting septa; (3) two sample phragmospore patterns with multip...

didymospore

A two-celled spore divided by a single septum. Usually applied to mitosporic fungi. Compare with amerospore and phragmospore.

Dikarya

A subkingdom of Fungi that includes Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, or "higher fungi."

dikaryotic

dicaryotic, secondary mycelium A single cell (dikaryon) having two genetically distinct haploid nuclei.

dimorphic

dimorphism Having two forms, e.g. both yeast and mycelial forms. Examples include Histoplasma and Sporothrix.

diplanetism

A life cycle with two types of zoospores (dimorphic), primary and secondary.

Discomycetes

cup fungi A class of saucer-shaped and cup-shaped Ascomycetes in which the hymenium is exposed at maturity; one in which the fruit body is an apoth...

disjunctor

An evanescent connective, consisting of either a cell or cell wall material. It develops through the pores of septal lamellae of adjoining conidia ...

dolipore septum

In hyphae of basidiomycete fungi, parenthesomes (1) "cap" a dolipore septum; (2) the cell wall; (3) swells around the septal pore to form a barrel-...

echinate

Having sharply pointed spines, e.g. of spores. Its diminutive is echinulate, for delicate spines. Sometimes synonymous with spinose. From Gr. echin...

effete

Past the bearing period; overmature, e.g. a fruiting body that has emptied its spores.

effuse

Expanded; stretched out flat, e.g. a film-like growth. From Latin fundere, to pour.

elf cups

1.  Elf cups of Helvella leucomelaenaAscomata of Pezizales.

endo-

Prefix meaning "inner" or "inside", from Gr. éndon.

endobiotic

Growing within anther living organism.

endophyte

An organism that lives within a plant; in mycology, specifically fungi that live within plants but do not show external signs or damage to the plan...

endospore

1.  An endogenous spore, e.g. a sporgangiospore, often resembling an ascospore.

endothrix

Living within hair. Generally associated with parasitic dermatophyte infections.

epibiotic

Growing on the outer surface of another organism.

epicortex

A thin layer on top of the cortex; e.g. a sugar-like layer over some Parmeliaceae lichens or a layer on the apothecium of some Pezizales

erect

Upright; not curved.

ergot

1.  Ergot-infested rye of the fungus Claviceps purpureaA disease of cereals and grasses caused by the fungus Claviceps.

erumpent

Breaking through the surface of the substratum.

ethnomycology

The study of the use of fungi by human cultures.

eucarpic

eucarpous Thalli where reproductive structures only develop on limited portions during fructication. The rest of the thallus remains in its origina...

Eumycota

Fungi. From Greek for "true fungi". Generally used to distinguish fungi from related Pseudofungi traditionally also studied in mycology, as well as...

evanescent

Having a short existence; soon disappearing, e.g. of a veil, an annulus, etc. From Latin evanscere, to disappear.

exobasidial

1.  With exposed basidia.

exochthonus

allochthonous Invasive, not indigenous; especially for organisms not adapted to a particular soil.

fairy ring

A fairy ring Mushrooms or puffballs forming in a circle, started from a central mycelium in the soil. Fairy rings expand with time if undisturbed, ...

falcate

Falciform Curved, like a sickle or scythe. From Latin falx and falcis, sickle.

fermentation

Pinot Noir grapes being fermented by yeasts in winemaking zymosis A chemical change caused by enzymes of living organisms. In mycology, typically y...

filament

A fine thread. Commonly used for hyphal threads or other simple thread-like fungal structures. From Latin filum, thread.

filamentous

filamentose 1.  Thread-like, or composed of filaments.

filiform

In the shape of a thread; thin.

fleshy

Soft, not cartilaginous or wood-like. Associated with agarics and boletes.

flexuous

flexuose Wavy. From Latin flexus, bend.

flocci

Cotton-like groups or tufts.

floccose

Fluffy or cottony; byssoid. Common among many colonies of fungi. Its diminutive form is flocculose, for a small and delicate floccose element. From...

flowers of tan

The aethalium of Fuligo septica. Commonly found in tannin-containing tubs drying hides into leather.

flush

The rapidly growing stage of a mycelium, especially in mushrooms.

foliicolous

Living on leaves, e.g. foliicolous lichen.

foliose

1.  Leaf-like in form.

foot cell

basal cell 1.  A hyphal cell that supports a sporogenous cell or thallus, specifically the support of the conidiophore in Aspergillus and the ...

foxfire

Panelluses stipticus, an example of luminiscient fungi (long exposure photograph) A phosphorescent light emitted by moist, decaying wood; one of th...

free

Not adhering; not attached to the stipe, esp. of lamellae or tubes. Compare with adnate.

frog cheese

A young puffball.

fructicolous

fructicole Living on fruit. From Latin fructus, fruit.

fruticolous

fruticole Living on shrubs. From Latin frutex, shrubs.

fungicide

A substance able to kill fungi, especially at low concentration. From Latin caedere, to kill. Generally used for chemical substances rather than he...

fungicolous

Living on other fungi.

fungiform

Mushroom-shaped.

fungivorous

A banana slug feeding on Amanita. Many animals are opportunistic fungivores and eat fungi if available, but only a few near-exclusively target them...

fungoid

fungous Similar to a fungus in texture or morphology.

fungus

pl. fungi A kingdom of organisms in Eukaryota. Fungi are distinguished based on their morphology, nutritional modes, and ecology. Typical traits ar...

funicular

Cord-like. From Latin funis, rope.

funiculose

(Of hyphae) Aggregated into cord-like strands.

furfuraceous

Covered with brand-like particles; scurfy.

fusiform

Spindle-shaped; narrowing toward the ends. Of spores, stipe, cystidia, etc. From Latin fusus, spindle.

fusoid

Somewhat fusiform.

galeate

Hooded; hat-shaped. From Latin galea, helmet.

gamete

A sexual cell; a uninucleate haploid reproductive cell capable of fusing with another. From Gr. gámos, marriage, union.

gemma

pl. gemmae 1.  Another term for chlamydospores, sometimes restricted to specifically spores that broke free from the mycelium to be dispersed,...

geniculate

Bent like a knee.

geophilous

Preferring an environment in soil, as in Microsporum cookei or fungi that produce truffles.

germ pore

A hole in a spore wall, frequently apical, through which it germinates. Germ tubes emerge through it. Associated with rusts.

germ sporangium

A sporangium at the end of a germ tube. Originates by germination of an oospore or of a zygosporangium.

germ tube

Germ tubes forming in Candida albicans, at 600x magnification A short hypha that sprouts from the germ pore during germination. If conditions are f...

glabrous

Smooth, not hairy; e.g. of the surface of a pileus or stipe.

gleba

pl. glebae The central, internal portion of the fruiting body of Gasteromycetes and underground Pezizales.

globose

Spherical in shape.

guttate

1.  Having tear-like drops. From Latin gutta, drop.

guttulate

guttiferous Spores bearing one or more guttules (oil-like drops) inside, e.g. the ascospores of Podospora comata.

guttule

guttula A small drop or drop-like particle, especially oil-like globules in a spore resembling a nucleus.

Gymnomycota

Gymnomycetes An obsolete division of fungi, characterized as having a plasmodium. Subsumed by Myxomycota (true slime molds) in later literature.

gymnothecium

pl. gymnothecia An ascoma in which the perithecium is in a loose hyphal network.

gyrate

gyrose Curved; folded and wavy, like a brain.

hamate

Hooked.

hamathecium

Collective term for hyphae and tissues between asci; interascal tissue.

haustorium

pl. haustoria Downy mildew infiltrating cells of the plant Arabidopsis thaliana, at 400x magnification. The stained dark blue spheres are the haust...

heterokaryotic

heterocaryotic Having two or more genetically distinct nuclei in a common cytoplasm, making a combined cell.

heterokont

heterocont, Straminipila 1.  A grouping of organisms within Chromista that includes Pseudofungi.

heteromerous

In lichens, when the thallus is stratified. The photobiont is distributed in a compact layer, and the hyphal tissue of the fungi are separated into...

heterothallism

Fungi that require the interaction of two different thalli for sexual conjugation to occur.

hilum

pl. hila A scar after a spore is discharged; was previously the point of attachment of a basidiospore to the sterigma. From Latin hilum, mask.

hoary

Covered thickly with silk-like hairs, especially of a pileus or stipe, often grayish or white.

holocarpic

Having all of the thallus converted into the fruiting body at the end of maturation; compare eucarpic. The somatic and reproductive phases do not c...

holomorph

Term describing the whole fungus throughout all its morphs (states, phases). Generally includes a single teleomorph phase and one or more anamorph ...

holothallic

A method of thallic conidiogenous in which a hyphal element is converted as a whole into a single conidium. All the cell wall layers are involved. ...

homoiomerous

In lichens, when the photobiont is are distributed uniformly or at random throughout the thallus. From Gr. homoios, similar.

homokaryotic

homocaryotic Having genetically identical (or near-identical) nuclei, e.g. in a mycelium.

homothallism

The condition where sexual reproduction can occur in a single thallus, without the interaction of two separate thalli.

hydrophilous

Preferring an aquatic habitat. Common among zygomycetes, as zoospores rely on water to move.

hygrophilous

Preferring a moist habitat. Common among fungi.

hygroscopic

1.  Becoming soft in wet air, hard in dry; readily absorbing moisture from the atmosphere.

hymenium

The spore-bearing fruiting surface of Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes. An aggregation of asci or basidia in a layer (palisade) mixed with other ster...

hymenophore

The portion of a basidioma or ascoma bearing the hymenium.

hypha

A 160x magnification of Rhizoctonia solani hyphae pl. hyphae A single filament of a mycelium. From Gr. hyphe, weaving.

hyphal

Of, or pertaining to, a hypha.

Hyphomycetes

Hyphales An artificial class of mitosporic fungi that reproduces asexually. Traditionally subdivided into Agonomycetales, Hyphomycetales, Stilbella...

hypnospore

resting spore A thick-walled resting spore; germinates only after a lapse of weeks or months. From Gr. hypnos, sleep.

hypo-

Prefix meaning "under" or "lower". From Gr. hypo.

hypothallus

protothallus 1.  (Of lichens) The first growth of the hyphae, before differentiation has taken place. Usually of a crustaceous lichen's earlie...

inoperculate

Not operculate; lacking an operculum. Generally refers to asci or sporangia that discharge spores by an irregular apical opening or pore instead. F...

intercalary

1.  (of growth) Between the apex and the base; not apical. From Latin intercalare, to insert.

isidium

pl. isidia A propagule for lichen growth; can both increase the surface area of a lichen and become detached from the thallus to disperse the liche...

isokont

isocont Zoospores with flagella of roughly equal length. Seen in Ectrogella bacillariacearum and other aquatic zoosporic fungi. From Gr. kontos, a ...

jelly fungus

A jelly fungus, Tremella mesenterica Fungi of the Tremellales or trembling fungi. Known for having a soft, elastic consistency, similar to gelatin ...

kary-

karya-, karyo-, cary-, carya-, caryo- A prefix meaning "nucleus." From Gr. karyon.

karyogamy

caryogamy, nuclear fusion The final stage in the fusion of two sexual nuclei, after plasmogamy, that forms the zygote nucleus, but before meiosis.

kinetosome

basal body An organelle that is the base of a zoospore flagellum. Connected to the nuclear membrane by means of a rhizoplast. Found in Blastocladia...

lageniform

Flask-shaped; swollen at base, narrowed at top.

lamella

pl. lamellae A gill; a hymenium-covered vertical plate, generally of an agaric. Attaches to the stipe in a variety of ways, including: free, unatta...

lamellate

1.  Having lamellae (gills).

lanate

lanose Like wool; covered with short-hair-like elements.

lateral

At the side, e.g. of a stipe.

latex

Lactarius quietus exuding cream-colored latex from gills upon being cut A milk-like juice that flows from some fungi when cut or damaged, as in Lac...

latticed

Cross-barred. (See also Clathrus, lattice-work fungus, especially Clathrus ruber.)

lenticular

lentiform Shaped like a double convex lens.

lepidote

Covered in small scales; for example, the pileus of Lepiota.

lichen

Crustose lichens can grow on surfaces hostile to most other lifeforms, such as concrete walls and bare boulders. A dual organism that arises from a...

lichenicolous

Growing on or in lichens. Can apply to both lichenicolous fungus and other lichens.

lichenin

lichenen, moss starch A polycarbohydrate found in wall of the hyphae of many lichen-forming fungi, most characteristically Iceland moss.

lichenoid

Resembling a lichen.

lichenology

The scientific study of lichens.

lichenometry

Rhizocarpon geographicum (map lichen) in Switzerland A technique for studying the exposure age of rock surfaces based on the size and diameter of l...

ligneous

Woody, ligneous growths of Fomes fasciatus on a tree Wood-like; having the consistency of wood, such as the fruiting body in Fomes, Ganoderma, or o...

lignicolous

xylogenous Living in or on wood, although not necessarily deriving nourishment from it, as do wood-decay fungi.

limoniform

Lemon-shaped.

lumen

The central cavity of a structure, usually referring to a cell bounded by tissue or cell walls.

luminescent fungi

Panellus stipticus displaying bioluminescence bioluminescent fungi Fungi that exhibit bioluminescence, emitting light in certain conditions.

lunate

luniform Crescent-shaped, like a crescent moon. Sometimes synonymous with falcate. From Latin luna, moon.

macroconidium

In fungi with multiple types of conidia, the larger; compare microconidia, mesoconidia.

Macromycetes

Large fungi with visible sporocarps, such as mushrooms.

macronematous

Having a morphologically different conidiophore from the vegetative hyphae; a specialized conidiophore.

maculate

macular, maculose Spotted; blotched.

mantle

An illustration of ectomycorrhiza A layer of hyphae covering the roots of ectomycorrhizal plants, generally trees. Connected to a Hartig net on the...

marginal veil

In agarics and boletes, a proliferation of hyphae on the edge of the pileus that protects the developing hymenium.

matrix

1.  The substance in or on which a fungus grows.

medicinal fungi

Tablets of cough suppressant made from Cetraria islandica (Iceland moss) The use of fungi such as yeast in medicines.

meiosis

A series of two successive nuclear divisions that reduces the number of chromosomes by one-half, going from a diploid state to a haploid one. The l...

merosporangium

pl. merosporangia A sporangium that is a cylindrical outgrowth from the swollen tip of a sporangiophore. A chain-like row of sporangiospores are pr...

microbiota

All of the microorganisms present in an area, including algae, bacteria, protozoa, and fungi. Compare mycobiota.

microconidium

In fungi with multiple types of conidia, the smaller; compare macroconidia, mesoconidia.

micronematous

micronemous 1.  Having hyphae of small diameter.

mildew

1.  Uncinula necator, a powdery mildew that grows on grapes Fungi that grow on host plants. Subdivided into powdery mildew ("true"), down...

mitosis

The normal division of a nucleus. Results in two child nuclei with the same number of chromosomes as the parent.

mitosporangium

A thin-walled sporangium of certain Blastocladiales producing uninucleate diploid zoospores (mitospores) by mitosis.

mitospore

A zoospore from a mitosporangium. From Gr. mitos, thread.

mitosporic fungi

Fungi imperfecti; Deuteromycetes; ana-holomorph; conidial fungi; asexual fungi Purely asexual fungi that reproduce by mitosis.

mold

mould, Micromycetes, microfungi A fungus of very small size, usually with microscopic sporocarps.

monokaryotic

monocaryotic Cells having a single nucleus each; having genetically identical haploid nuclei (monokaryon or haplont). Found, for example, in the my...

monopodial

A type of branching where there is a persistent main axis from which branches split from, one at a time, often in alternate or spiral series. Often...

morph

Form. From Gr. μορφή, morphḗ, form.

moss

Reindeer moss or caribou moss, which is truly a lichen Flowerless plants; not fungi. However, some lichens were given misnomers in the past that mi...

motile

Independently mobile.

mucilaginous

Sticky or viscous when wet; slimy. Present in many fungi and especially slime molds.

mucoid

mucose, mucous Like mucus, having the consistency of mucilage; slimy.

Mucoromycota

A division of fungi broken off from Zygomycota in the 2010s that includes many of the molds, microscopic fungi. Includes Mucorales, the largest and...

multiseptate

Having more than one septum.

muriform

Spores arranged like bricks in a wall; having both longitudinal and transverse septa. From Latin murus, wall.

mushroom

Amanita muscaria (fly agaric), an iconic mushroom Large agarics, or other fleshy fungi such as boletes. Commonly divided into mushrooms (human-edib...

myc-

mycet-, myceto-, myco- Combining prefixes that mean "fungus". From Gr. mykēs and mykētos (μύκης), fungus.

mycelial cord

A discrete aggregation of hyphae. Compared to a rhizomorph, it is undifferentiated from other hyphae and has no apical meristem.

mycelium

pl. mycelia A mass of hyphae or fungal filaments; the thallus.

Mycetes

Fungi. As a suffix (-mycetes), the recommended ending for the names of fungal classes.

mycetism

mycetismus, mushroom poisoning Poisoning by larger fungi, usually mushrooms.

mycetoma

madura foot, maduramycosis A fungal disease of the skin, usually of the foot.

mycobiont

The fungal part of a lichen.

mycobiota

funga Aggregate fungal life in the area under consideration; equivalent of the term flora in plants or fauna in animals.

mycogenous

Coming from fungi; growing on fungi.

mycoid

Fungus-like.

mycology

The scientific study of fungi. From Gr. lógos, discourse.

mycorrhiza

Leccinum aurantiacum, a bolete that has a mycorrhizal relationship with a host tree A symbiotic association between a fungus and the root system of...

mycosis

pl. mycoses Fungal diseases of humans and animals (rarely, plants as well).

mycotoxin

Toxins (the product of one organism injurious to another) produced by fungi. Studied by mycotoxicology. Poisonings are called mycotoxicoses.

Myxomycota

Hemitrichia serpula, commonly called pretzel slime, a true slime mold Myxomycetes True slime molds. No longer categorized as fungi, but were former...

nematophagous

vermivorous Predatory fungi that trap, devour, and digest nematodes in the soil.

noble rot

Riesling grapes afflicted by Botrytis cinerea (gray rot), causing a color change A condition from the mold Botrytis growing on overripe grapes. Use...

obclavate

(of spores, stipe, cystidia, etc.) The reverse of clavate; widest at the base.

obovoid

The reverse of egg-shaped or ovoid; the narrower end is on bottom.

obpyriform

The reverse of pear-shaped or pyriform.

oogonium

pl. oogonia The female sexual organ of Oomycetes, which at maturity contains one or more oospores. From Gr. gonos, progeny.

Oomycota

Albugo candida (white rust), a water mold, on a mayflower Peronosporomycetes Water molds. Traditionally considered fungi, but now classed as closer...

oosphere

Female gamete of oomycetes; "egg" of the oogonium.

oospore

400x magnification showing oospores of Hyaloperonospora parasitica, a downy mildew The resting spore formed as a result of fertilization of the oos...

operculum

pl. opercula A lid or cover. Usually refers to the lid-like apex of a sporangium or ascus found in some chytrids and Pezizales.

orchil

archil, orcein A reddish-purple dye traditionally extracted from lichen.

osmotrophic

Absorbing nutrients from surroundings via osmosis. True of all fungi.

ostiole

1.  A cavity ending in a pore at the neck of a perithecium (ascocarp) of ascomycetes.

ovoid

Egg-shaped; the narrower end is on top.

papilla

A small rounded elevation. Generally refers to an elevation on the wall of the sporangium which on breaking serves as the exit point of zoospores a...

paraphysis

pl. paraphyses A sterile upward-growing, basally-attached hypha in a hymenium, especially in ascomata of ascomycetes where they are generally filif...

partial veil

A sample agaric-type basidioma in (A) the early development stage, and (B) after the body is fully expanded. (1) is the universal veil, the outer l...

pectinate

Resembling the teeth of a comb, e.g. of the margin of a pileus.

pedicel

A small or slender stalk.

pellicle

1.  The outermost living layer.

penicillus

pl. penicilli An asexual conidial head in the shape of a brush. Consists of a pedicel or conidiophore that supports a cluster of conidiogenous cell...

percurrent

1.  Conidiogenous cell growth where a conidiophore or germ tube grows through a preexisting pore.

peridium

The outer wall of a sporangium or other fruiting body. Can be either acellular or composed of plectenchyma.

perithecium

pyrenocarp; pl. perithecia A rounded, oval ascocarp, characteristic of Pyrenomycetes and pyrenolichens. Can commonly be pyriform, obpyriform, beake...

phagotrophic

Feeding by engulfing food; extending a pseudopod or other protoplasmic extension, as seen in protozoa. Never seen in true fungi (Eumycota), but som...

phialide

A type of conidiogenous cell, bottle-shaped, that produces blastic conidia (phialospores) in basipetal succession. The philade itself does not incr...

phialospore

An asexual spore formed from the tip of a phialide. Formed by abstriction.

photobiont

The photosynthetic element in a lichen. Either algae (a phycobiont) or cyanobacteria (a cyanobiont).

phototropism

A tropic phenomenon driven by light, where growth curves toward or against light stimuli. For example, sporangiphores of Pilobus and Phycomyces dir...

phragmospore

An asexual reproductive spore partitioned by two or more transverse septa. Most commonly found in mitosporic fungi. Compare with amerospore and did...

physiological race

race, strain, biotype A group of forms alike in morphology. Often means a group of organisms that are potentially interbreeding. In plant pathology...

piedra

A fungal infection of the hair, characterized by stony, hard nodules along hair shafts. A type of dermatocytosis.

pileus

A pileus or mushroom cap mushroom cap The cap of basidiomata that bears the fertile hymenium.

pilose

Covered with long, soft filaments; hairy. Oudemansiella pilosa is an example. From Latin pilus, hair.

plasmodium

A motile mass seen in the growth phase of acellular slime molds. Generally multinucleate and lacking cell walls. See also protoplasmodium, aphanopl...

plasmogamy

The fusion of two cells or plasmodial cytoplasms, resulting in the nuclei juxtaposed and a dikaryon formed. In many sexual phases of fungi, the fir...

plectenchyma

A thick, packed tissue of twisted hyphae formed during basidiocarp development as it enlarges and generative hyphae begin to differentiate. From Gr...

pleomorphic

polymorphic 1.  Fungi having more than one form in its life cycle, e.g. holomorphs comprising a teleomorph and one or more anamorphs.

pleurogenous

Growing from the sides, e.g. of hyphae.

pore

1.  A small opening, as in tretic conidiogenesis.

potato blight

A potato afflicted by the potato late blight potato late blight, potato murrain A fungal disease caused by the water mold Phytophthora infestans; c...

propagule

propagulum Any structure that serves to spread the organism, both via propagation of new organisms as well as vegetatively increasing a single orga...

pseudo-

Prefix meaning "false", from Gr. pseudos.

Pseudofungi

Pseudomycetes A subdivision of stramenopiles consisting of organisms similar to fungi and traditionally studied in mycology, including Oomycota, Hy...

pseudoidia

Separated hyphal cells capable of germination.

pseudoparenchyma

pl. pseudoparenchymata A type of plectenchyma made of tightly packed, angular or polyhedral cells.

pseudostroma

pl. pseudostromata A stroma formed of both fungal tissue and remnant tissues of a host plant.

puffball

Puffballs of the species Lycoperdon pyriforme Fuzzball, puff-ball Fruit body (basidioma) of Lycoperdales. Emits a cloud of spores when disturbed ("...

punctiform

Very small (but still visible to unaided eyesight), e.g. with rust sori.

punctulate

punctate Marked with small points.

putrescent

Decaying; becoming soft. From Latin putrescere, to grow rotten.

pycnidium

pl. pycnidia An asexual fruiting body (conidioma), generally flask-shaped, lined entirely by conidiogenous cells.

pyriform

piriform Pear-shaped.

rachis

A geniculate or zig-zag holoblastic extension of a conidiogenous cell from sympodial conidiogenous cell development. Such cells having a rachis are...

racket cell

A hyphal cell having a swelling at one end, resembling a tennis racket; found in dermatophytes.

ramicolous

Living on plant branches or twigs.

reniform

fabiform Kidney-like or bean-like in form, e.g. of spores. From Latin renes, kidney, or faba, a broad bean.

retorse

Turned or bent backward.

rhizoid

A slender, tapered structure of anucleate filaments bearing a superficial resemblance to a plant root, as it is extended by the thallus of chytrids...

rhizomorph

A strand or cord of mycelium, often with a dark-colored rind surrounding a central core of colorless cells, penetrating a soft substratum or betwee...

rhizomycelium

A branched system of rhizoids that resembles a mycelium in chytrids.

Rozellida

Cryptomycota A sister group of quasi-fungi that lack chitinous cell walls. Traditionally considered chytrids, but have since been separated and rec...

ruderal

1.  Living in wasteland, ruins, or debris.

rugose

Wrinkled. Seen, e.g., in basidiospores of Panaeolina foenisecii. From Latin ruga, wrinkle or crease.

rust

1.  A rust-afflicted leaf by the fungus Endophyllum euphorbiae-sylvaticae Plant diseases caused by fungi of the order Pucciniales.

saprobe

saprogen, saprotroph An organism that uses dead organic material as food.

saxicolous

Growing on rocks (e.g. Lichenothelia).

scabrous

Rough.

scariose

Thin, papery.

sclerotium

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum sclerotia sclerotia A hardened, often rounded, mass of hyphae, normally having no spores. May give rise to a fruit body, a...

scutate

scutiform Like a shield or round plate in shape. From Latin scutum, shield.

secotioid

A fruiting body with the appearance of an unopened agaric or bolete. The margin of the pileus does not break free of the columella-stipe, generally...

semimacronematous

Having a slightly morphologically different conidiophore from the vegetative hyphae.

seminicolous

Living in seeds; seed-borne fungi. Examples include Ascochyta pisi, Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, Microdochium panattonianum, and others.

senescence

1.  Growing old. From Latin senescere, to grow old.

septate

Having septa; divided by partitions.

septum

pl. septa A cell wall in a hypha.

serrate

Edged with teeth, like a comb or saw, e.g. of gills; its diminutive form is serrulate.

sexual phase

The phase of the fungal life cycle when sexually reproductive cells and organs are formed. This term is preferred over sex in animals, as the funga...

slime mold

Acrasis rosea, a cellular slime mold A eukaryotic lifeform that spreads via spores. Has both ameba (cellular slime molds) and plasmoidial (multi-nu...

smut

1.  Loose smut of barley, caused by Ustilago nuda A class of destructive plant diseases, generally of cereal grasses, caused by parasitic...

soma

pl. somata 1.  The assimilative (sustaining) body of an organism, distinguished from reproductive parts or phases. From Gr. soma, body.

somatogamy

The fusion of somatic (vegetative) cells during plasmogamy but not karyogamy. Found in the majority of basidiomycetes, many species of yeasts (such...

soredium

pl. soredia A propagule for vegetative lichen growth; a combination of phycobiont algae wrapped by mycobiont hyphae, and produced on a lichen thall...

sorus

pl. sori A heap of spores. Fruiting structure in certain fungi, including the spore mass of rusts, but also Acrasidae and Synchytriaceae. From Gr. ...

spawn

Mycelium used for starting fungal cultures, especially mushrooms; e.g. bricks of manure interlaced with mycelia.

spinose

spinuous Having spines.

spinulose

Having small, delicate spines (spinules).

Spitzenkörper

apical body A vesicle-rich body surrounded by actin filaments found in the growing tips of most fungi during periods of growth. Densely staining.

spor-

spori-, sporo-, -spore Prefixes meaning "spore". From Gr. spora, seed.

sporangiolum

pl. sporangiola A small sporangium of Mucorales producing a small number of sporangiospores.

sporangiophore

A thallus element bearing one or more sporangia.

sporangiospore

A walled spore produced within a sporangium.

sporangium

pl. sporangia A sac-like structure that produces spores endogenously. From Gr. angeion, vessel.

spore

A reproductive structure in fungi. Can result from both sexual and asexual processes.

spore wall

The layered wall defining a spore. Considered to have five layers. From within to outwards: the thin interior endosporium, the thick episporium, th...

sporocarp

fruit body, fruiting body A unit for production, protection, and dissemination of spores. Sometimes divided into ascocarp, basidiocarp, and zyogosp...

sporodochium

A cluster of conidiophores bearing the spore mass, like a cushion.

statismospore

A spore that is not forcibly discharged, unlike a ballistospore. Seen in the basidiospores of Gastromycetes. From Gr. statis, immobility.

stellate

Like a star in form, especially spores.

sterigma

pl. sterigmata The small, spicule-like (pointed) pedicel or structure upon which a basidiospore forms. From Gr. sterigma, support.

stipe

The stem or stalk of agarics, boletes, polypores, etc. From Latin stipes, trunk.

stolon

A horizontal hypha that sprouts where it touches the substrate, in Mucorales. Connects groups of rhizoids.

striate

Having minute radiating lines or ridges, such as the margin of a pileus.

stroma

Close-up of a stroma of ergot, an ascomycete pl. stromata A mass of vegetative hyphae where fertile hyphae, fruiting bodies, and spores are produce...

subglobose

Not quite spherical.

substrate

1.  The substance on which an enzyme acts.

substratum

The material on which the organism is growing or is attached; the ecology in the directly local sense.

sympodial

A mode of conidiogenous cell growth which results in the development of conidia on a geniculate or zig-zag rachis, due to repeated termination and ...

synanamorph

Fungi which have multiple anamorph, or imperfect, phases.

synctium

A multinucleate structure resulting from the fusion of several uninucleate ameboid cells (myxameba), found in myxomycetes.

synnema

pl. synnemata A bundle of erect and sometimes fused conidiophores that make a conidioma together. Conidia are born at the apex, and sometimes along...

teleomorph

Perfect state The sexual state (or perfect state) of a fungus whose spores are produced by meiosis, i.e. characterized by ascomata or basidiomata.

thallic

One of the two basic forms of conidiogenesis, with blastic conidiogenesis. Characterized by the conidia initial being delimited by one or more sept...

thallus

pl. thalli 1.  The vegetative tissue of a thallophyte. Usually synonymous with mycelium in fungi. From Latin thallus, young branch.

torulose

torulous, torose, moniliform Elongated in shape with swellings and constrictions at intervals. Found, e.g., in mycelia of Torula.

trama

1.  A layer of hyphae in the central part of an agaric running from the underside of the cap to the lamella, often supporting the hymeniu...

trehalose

mycose, mushroom sugar A reserve sugar of fungi, especially yeasts and ergots, and lichens. Hydrolyzed by the enzyme trehalase.

tretic

A form of blastic conidiogenesis. Each conidium (tretoconidium, porospore) is delimited via the inner wall of the conidiogenous cell.

trichospore

A type of zygospore; a sporangia bearing a single spore. Usually coiled. Characteristic of the order Harpellales (formerly part of Trichomycetes).

troop

A group of fruit bodies from a single mycelium.

truffle

A cut Tuber aestivum or summer truffle The edible, subterranean fruit (ascoma) of Tubers. Sometimes extended to "false truffles" as well such as Pe...

truncate

Ending abruptly, as if cut off. From Latin truncare, to maim.

tubercle

tubercule A knob-like or wart-like excrescence.

tubercular

tuberculate Having tubercles.

tumid

Swollen; inflated; e.g. of a stipe.

turgid

Tightly swollen, e.g. from hydrostatic pressure of endosmosed water. From Latin turgidus, distended.

umbilicus

In some foliose lichens (e.g. Umbilicaria), the central, strongly attaching organ of the thallus.

uniseriate

Arranged in a single row or series. Generally used to differentiate how phialides are arranged in species of Aspergillus; in uniseriate, they are d...

universal veil

The white patches on the caps of these Amanita muscaria mushrooms are cap scales, remnants of the universal veil. A layer of tissue covering the ba...

ustilospore

The spore of a smut fungus.

verrucose

Warty; having rounded bumps. Verruculose is the diminutive version for delicate or small warts.

verticillate

Having parts in rings (verticils); whorled. Develops due to branching in which branches or pedicels are borne at the same level on the hypha, and g...

vesicle

1.  A bladder-like sac, especially of Peronosporales where zoospores mature.

virgate

Banded or streaked. Generally applied to the surface of the pileus of a basidiocarp. From Latin virga, a twig, wand, rod, stripe, or streak.

volva

The cup-like remnant of the universal veil at the base of the stipe in the basidiocarp of agarics and Gasteromycetes. Generally beneath the soil as...

wart disease

Synchytrium endobioticum on potatoes A fungal disease of the potato caused by Synchytrium endobioticum, a chytrid.

witches' brooms

Massed outgrowths on branches of woody plants caused by mites, viruses, and/or fungi, especially rust-causing fungi.

witches' butter

Basidioma of Exidia glandulosa (or, in America, Tremella lutescens). Supposedly effective in witchcraft when thrown into a fire.

wood-decay fungus

xylophagous fungus Fungi that digest wood. Mostly basidiomycetes, although a few ascomycetes also possess this ability. Generally categorized into ...

xerophilic

Preferring a dry habitat, or at least capable of subsisting in one. Rare among fungal species, but fungi with this capability can be exceptionally ...

yeast

Yeast cells under magnification from kombucha, a fermented sweet tea drink Unicellular, budding fungi. Not a formal taxonomic unit; a cross-phyla g...

yellow rice

Rice discolored and contaminated by Penicillium fungi.

yellows

Various fungal diseases of plants causing yellowing, most notably cabbage (Fusarium oxysporum). See also yellow rice.

Zoopagomycotina

A subdivision of Zygomycota broken off into a separate classification in the 2010s. Typically microscopic and obligate parasites.

zoospore

swarm spore, zoöspore A motile sporangiospore, i.e. having flagella.

Zygomycota

The Zygomycete Endogone pisiformus growing on sphagnum in a wet area Zygomycetes A traditional major phylum of fungi; characterized by coenocytic m...

zygospore

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

zygote

A cell resulting from the fusion of two gametes of opposite sex.

zymo-

Prefix meaning "yeast". From Gr. zymos, yeast.

zymogenous

Ferment-producing.

zymology

zymurgy The practice and study of yeasts and fermentation in brewing and wine-making.

Glossary of Mycology Terms