ASEXUAL FRUITING AND SEXCUAL
BODIES IN FUNGI
Name:-AMANPREET KOUR
Name:-BISMA MOON
Name:-SOOMASH
ASEXUAL FRUITING AND
SEXCUAL BODIES IN FUNGI
• Asexual Fruiting Bodies
• Synnema or coremium
• Sporodochium
• Pycnidium
• Acervulus
Fructifications and fruit bodies
The sporophores bear fruiting bodies or form fructifications, which may be
asexual or sexual in nature.
In lower fungi (Plasmodiophoromycetes, Chytridiomycetes,Oomycetes and
Zygomycotina) asexual spores are usually enclosed in simple sacs called
sporangia or zoosporangia.
• In higher fungi (Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes) complex aggregates of
spore bearing hyphea are formed and supporting and protective tissues surround
it .These complex structures are called as spore
fruits fructifications (L. fructus = fruit).
Asexual Fruiting Bodies
1.Synnema or coremium
Synnema or Coremium (pl. coremia) Consists of a group of
conidiophores often united at the base and part way up the top.
Conidia may be formed along the length of the synema or only
at it apex
• The conidiophores comprising a synnema are often branched at the
top with the conidia arising from the conidiogenous cells at the tips
of the numerous branches. e.g., Deuteromycotina (Arthrobotryum spp.
Penicillium claviforme, Doratomyces stemonitis, Ceratocystis ulmi.
• Synnema(pl. synnemata; syn. coremium) compact or fused, generally
upright conidiophores, with branches and spores forming a headlike cluster
synnemata of Ophiostoma ulmi]
• Sporodochium Sporodochium is a fruting body in which condiophores
arise from a central cushion-like aggeration of hypen
• The condiophores are packed tightly together and are generally shorter
than those composing a synema
• Pycnidium Pycnidium is a globse or or flask shaped body which is lined
on the inside with condiophores eg;-
septoria,phoma,Ascohyta,Leptospheraeria
• Pycnidia may be completley closed or may have an opening
• The opening or mouth of pycnidium is called ostiole. (L. ostiolum =
little door)
• They may be provided with a small papilla or with a long neck leading to
the opening
• Pycnidia vary greatly in size, shape, colour and consistency of the pseudo-
parenchymous wall.
• The wall of pycnidium is called peridium (pl. peridia; G. peridion = small
The wall of pycnidium is called peridium (pl. peridia; G. peridion = small
leather pouch) and it is composed of multicellular layer, as fungal tissues.
Pycnidia may formed superficially or sunken in the substratum.
• They may be formed directly by the loose mycelium or may be
definitely stromatic
• Acervulus Acervulus (pl. acervuli) is a
fruiting structure commonly found in the order
Melanconiales (Deuteromycotina)
• It is typically a flat or saucer-shaped mass
of aggregated hyphae bearing short
conidiophores in a compact layer.
• Intermingled with the conidiophores, setae
(sing. seta; L. seta = bristle) are found. Setae
are long, pointed, dark coloured, sterile
structures.
• In nature acervuli are produced on plant
tissues sub epidermally or sub- cuticularly
and becomes erumpent on maturity. e.g.,
Colletotrichum.
• Sexual Fruiting Bodies
• Pycnium
• Aecium
• Ascocarps
1. Cleistothecium
2. Perithecium
3. Apothecium
4. Ascostroma or Pseudothecium
5. Basidiocarps
Pycnium
• Pycnium
Pycnium or spermagoniumpycnia; Gr. pycnos =
concentrated) is a fruit body, which is similar to
pycnidium and is formed in sexual cycle of rust fungi.
Pycnia are produced from primary uninucleate
mycelium growing in the tissues of the host.
• They may be determinate or indeterminate in
growth and may form in a subcuticular,
subepidermal or subcortical fashion.
• Pycnia may be flask-shaped, conical, flat and
sprawling.
• Pycnospore is a flask-shaped ,conical,flat and
sprawling .
• E.g., pycnium is produced by Puccinia graminis
tritici in the alternate host, barberry (Berberis
vulgaris).
Aecium
Aecium is a shallow or deep cup-shaped
structure produced in a leaf and located in the
lower portion and break through the lower
epidermis.
Aecia may be with or without peridium. In most
rust fungi the peripheral cells of the aecial
base successively divide and gives rise to a wall
that surrounds the spore chain in the form
of a cup. The wall is known as ‘peridium’.
Ascocarp
• Ascocarp (Gr. askos = sac+ karpos =fruit) is a
fruiting body that contains asci and ascospores.
• Ascomycetes fungi with few exceptions produce
ascocarps. they are in various forms like
spherical, flask-shaped, cup shaped, saucer
shaped and pod-shaped.
• They may be closed in some and provided with a
narrow wide opening in others.
• Ascocarps may formed singly or groups.
There are four categories ascocarps.
• Cleistothecium: Asci are produce in
completely closed ascorap
• Perithecium:It is more or less closed
ascocarp; but at maturity it is provided with
ostiole through which the ascospores escape.
• Apothecium: Ascocarp produce asci in open.
• Ascostroma or Pseudothecium: Stromatic
ascocarp, which bears asci directly in locules
within the stroma.
Basidiocarp
• Basidiocarpis a fruiting body, which bears
basidia and basidiospores.
• Basidia are borne on the under surface of fruit
body. Basidiocarps may be thin and crust-like,
gelatinous, cartilaginous,
papery,fleshy,spongy,corky or woody.
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