Thom 1910 Previously known as Penicillium notatum, P. chrysogenum is a widely studied Penicillium species, most famous for being one of the sources of penicillin and several other antibiotics. P. chrysogenum can most often be found indoors, particularly where there is high humidity, dampness, or water damage. P. chrysogenum colonies are blue-green often with a …
Thom (1906) What is Penicillium camemberti? Penicillium camemberti is a filamentous fungus from the genus Penicillium, also known under the synonyms P. rogeri, P. candidum, and P. caseicolum. Since P. camemberti is used in the production of Camembert and Brie cheese, this mold species is mainly found on cheese, forming a white, fluffy crust. It …
Dierckx (Syn: Penicillium stoloniferum Thom) What is Penicillium brevicompactum? Penicillium brevicompactum belongs to the well-known genus Penicillium, which contains over 300 species of saprophytic fungi. Interestingly, the genus Penicillium got its name from the Latin word “penicillius“, which translates to “painter’s brush”. Most members of the Penicillium genus prefer dark, moist, and cool locations and, …
Link 1809 What is Penicillium? With over 300 accepted species, the Penicillium genus includes some of the most frequently isolated molds in the world. Penicilli (the common name given to fungi from this genus) are saprophytic fungi common in soil, on decaying plant debris, compost, grains, and rotting fruit. Indoors, they can be found on …
Bainier, 1907 What is Paecilomyces variotii? Paecilomyces variotii is a wide-distributed mold that is readily found in composts and soils and a ubiquitous contaminant of foods and raw materials. It belongs to the genus Paecilomyces, most of which are important as soil fungi and insect pathogens. P. variotii is one of only a few common …
The kingdom of fungi consists of many diverse organisms, some of which we couldn’t live without. Most of them we never even come across and many species are still to be discovered. Fungi have diverse roles in human affairs. Some are used for the production of antibiotics, while others have found use in industrial fermentation, …
Link (1824) What is Oidium powdery mildew? Powdery mildew refers to a fungal disease, appearing as white powder on the leaf surface (Fig. 1 – A). These fungi belong to the order Erysiphales of the phylum Ascomycota and have sexual and asexual stages of growth. The genus Oidium comprises the asexual stages of Erysiphales [1, …
Zimmerman (1902) What is Nigrospora mold? The genus Nigrospora belongs to the phylum Ascomycota and is comprised of typically dark-spored asexual, filamentous fungi (dematiaceous fungi). The sexual stage of Nigrospora species belongs to the genus Khuskia [1]. Nigrospora species are cosmopolitan, having been isolated from soil, seeds, and organic debris, as well as from a …
Shear & B.O. Dodge (1927) What is Neurospora crassa? Neurospora crassa (Fig. 1) is colloquially known as the red bread mold, as it was initially discovered forming reddish or orange colonies on bread and pastries in French bakeries in 1843. It is a filamentous fungus that belongs to the phylum Ascomycota. Despite its initial discovery …
Myxomycetes, or slime molds, are a group of free-living amoeboid and sessile primitive organisms with complicated life cycles. Despite not belonging to the kingdom of fungi, they were historically regarded as molds, due to the similarities in appearance and lifestyle. Unlike mostly saprotrophic fungi, the Myxomycetes are free-living predators of bacteria and eukaryotic protists. Why …
