Sclerotium

To forming ergot -Sklerotium

With sclerotium delphinii infected Hosta ( Hosta ) with spherical, brown sclerotia

A sclerotium ( ancient Greek σκληρός sklēros , German 'hard' ) is a hardened permanent form that occurs in fungi . The fungus can remain in this dormant state for a long time and only begins to grow again or to form fruiting bodies from the sclerotium when the conditions are favorable . Many types of fungus are able to develop sclerotia.

Real sclerotium

Real sclerotia are dense, firm to hard hyphae clusters divided into cortex and marrow. The cells are very differentiated and sometimes compressed so tightly that they simulate a real tissue (pseudoparenchymatic plectenchyma). Sclerotia, in which the actual cell threads (hyphae) can still be seen inside, which are therefore not pseudoparenchymatic, still have a pseudoparenchymatic cortex made of thick-walled cells. An example of this are the sclerotia of Athelia rolfsii .

In the mature state, real sclerotia consist exclusively of fungal biomass, soil particles or plant parts are not part of real sclerotia.

Real sclerotia are often very resistant to dehydration due to their bark. The size of sclerotia varies depending on the taxon from very small sclerotia with diameters of less than one millimeter (e.g. in Kahlen Krempling , Paxillus involutus see str.) To, for example Lentinus tuberregium with a length of up to 15 cm and a mass of up to 500 grams. Very large, true sclerotia forms z. B. also the Porling Wolfiopora cocos .

Pseudosclerotium

Pseudosclerotia are similar to real sclerotia, but the hyphae grow through large pieces of substrate and include them in the permanent stage. When mature, the pulp of pseudosclerotia is a mixture of hyphae, earth, sand, wood and corresponding other substrate parts.

From the bulbous pseudosclerotium grow two fruiting bodies of the sclerotia stalk porling.

The distinction between true sclerotia and pseudosclerotia was introduced by Lohwag in 1941, but is not followed by every mycologist, as there are transitions from over half the mass to little, almost no substrate, with regard to the amount of enclosed substrate too no substrate is included, there is.

An example of large pseudosclerotia with a clear substrate inclusion are the tuberous permanent forms of the sclerotia stalk porling ( Polyporus tuberaster ).

Bulbille

Bulbils are small, sclerotia-like, but uncleared, delicate nodules consisting of exclusively thin-walled, viable cells. They serve less as permanent stages, but rather for asexual distribution. A well-known fungus that reproduces asexually through bulbils is Bulbillomyces farinosus .

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Heinrich Dörfelt , Gottfried Jetschke (Ed.): Dictionary of mycology. 2nd Edition. Spectrum Academic Publishing House, Heidelberg / Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-8274-0920-9 .

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Heinz Clemençon: Anatomy of the Hymenomycetes . F. Flück-Wirth, Teufen 1997, p. 1-995 .
↑ Reinhold Agerer: Studies on ectomycorrhizae. XVII: The ontogeny of the ectomycorrhizal rhizomorphs of Paxillus involutus and Thelephora terrestris (Basidiomycetes). In: Nova Hedwigia . tape 47 , 1988, pp. 311-334 .
^ Heinrich Lohwag: Anatomy of the Asco- and Basidiomycetes . In: Handbook of Plant Anatomy . tape 6 , no. 8 . Gebr. Borntraeger, Berlin 1941, p. 1-572 .

[:0-1] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Heinz Clemençon: Anatomy of the Hymenomycetes . F. Flück-Wirth, Teufen 1997, p. 1-995 .

[2] Reinhold Agerer: Studies on ectomycorrhizae. XVII: The ontogeny of the ectomycorrhizal rhizomorphs of Paxillus involutus and Thelephora terrestris (Basidiomycetes). In: Nova Hedwigia . tape 47 , 1988, pp. 311-334 .

[3] Heinrich Lohwag: Anatomy of the Asco- and Basidiomycetes . In: Handbook of Plant Anatomy . tape 6 , no. 8 . Gebr. Borntraeger, Berlin 1941, p. 1-572 .