Glossary

Rachis:

An extension of a conidiogenous cell-bearing conidia.

Racket hyphae (also spelled racquet):

A hypha having a series of cells that are swollen at one end.

Radiating:

Spreading from a common center.

Reflexive hypha:

A hypha having short branches that bend backward at approximately a 45° angle.

Rhizoid:

Pertaining to a root-like group of hyphae.

Rudimentary:

Poorly developed.

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Sclerotium (pl. sclerotia):

An organized mass of hyphae that remains dormant during unfavorable conditions.

Septum (pl. septa):

A crosswall.

Seta (pl. setae):

A bristle or bristle-like structure.

Shield cell:

A conidium having the shape of a shield. Shield cells are commonly produced by members of the genus Cladosporium.

Sinuous:

Wavy.

Solitary:

Separate; alone.

Spherule:

A sporangium-like structure containing endospores that is produced by Coccidioides immitis or Rhinosporidium seeberi.

Sporangiolum (pl. sporangiola):

A sporangium that contains a small number of sporangiospores. Some sporangiola may contain only one sporangiospore.

Sporangiophore:

A specialized hypha that gives rise to a sporangium.

Sporangiospore:

A spore that is formed by a cleavage process following karyogamy and mitosis in a sporangium.

Sporangium (pl. sporangia):

An asexual sac-like cell that has its entire content cleaved into sporangiospores.

Spore:

A reproductive propagule that forms either following meiosis or asexually by a cleavage process.

Sporodochium (pl. sporodochia):

A cushion-like mat of hyphae bearing conidiophores over its surface.

Sterigma (pl. sterigmata):

A pedicel bearing a basidiospore.

Sterile Hyphae:

A mould that is growing only in its filamentous phase without produce conidia or other fruiting bodies. The identification of the moulds depends on seeing conidia, fruiting bodies, and other similar structures and the mould thus cannot be fully identified.

Stolon:

A runner.

Subglobose:

Almost round.

Submerged:

Within the nutrient agar.

Sympodial:

Pertaining to the growth of a conidiophore in which new successive lateral, subterminal apices of growth occur following successive conidium formation. Sympodial conidiophores are typically geniculate in appearance.

Synanamorph:

Two or more distinct anatomic forms (anamorphs) produced by one fungus.

Synnema (pl. synnemata):

An erect macroscopic structure consisting of united conidiophores that bear conidia terminally, laterally, or in both ways.

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Teleomorph:

A form based on a sexual state.

Truncate:

Ending abruptly.

Tuberculate:

Having finger-like or wart-like projections.

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Unipolar budding:

The development of conidia at one end of the parent cell.

Uniseriate:

Having phialides that arise directly from the vesicle in species of Aspergillus.

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Verrucose:

Having warts.

Verticil:

A whorl of conidiogenous cells or conidiophores arising from a common point.

Verticillate:

Having verticils.

Vesicle:

A swollen cell; the swollen apices of some conidiophores or sporangiophores.

Villose:

Bearing long, hair-like appendages.

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Yeast:

A unicellular budding fungus that reproduces by sexual, asexual, or both means. Pertaining to a unicellular budding fungus that reproduces by asexual means only.

Zonate:

Having concentric bands of color or growth.

Zygospore:

A resting spore in which meiosis will occur. Zygospores result from the fusion of two similar hyphal elements. They are characteristic of the Zygomycetes.

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