Glossary

Apothecium (pl. apothecia): cup-, disc- or saucer-shaped ascoma; ascospores are actively discharged from numerous asci at a time; typical apothecia-forming genera are Peziza, Plectania or Scutellinia.

Ascoma (pl. ascomata): fruiting body of the Ascomycota in which ascospores are produced, main forms are apothecia, perithecia, cleistothecia and compound sporocarps;

Ascospores: sexual (meiotic) spores of the Ascomycota, in most species actively discharged by osmotic pressure of the sporangium (ascus)

Ascus (pl. asci): sporangium of the Ascomycota, typically tube-shaped and often bearing 8 Ascospores.

Ascomycota: largest class of higher fungi, their sexual spores are formed, typically in groups of 8, in a tube-like sporangium (ascus); Ascomycota include almost all lichenized fungi, molds, yeasts, most plant parasites, many saprophytes and mycorrhizal fungi.

Ballistospores: basidiospores which are actively discharged from the basidium, mostly with an asymmetric shape.

Basidioma (pl. basidiomata): fruiting body of the Basidiomycota in which basidiospores are produced, their form is very diverse, ranging from simple layers of basidia-bearing mycelium to complex structures, including epigeous, secotioid and hypogeous forms.

Basidiospores: sexual (meiotic) spores of the Basidiomycota, in most species actively discharged by the sporangium.

Basidiomycota: second largest class of higher fungi, their sexual spores are formed, typically in groups of 4, on the outside of a sporangium (basidium); Basidiomycota include many plant parasites, saprobionts and mycorrhizal fungi; the form of their fruiting bodies (basidiomata) ranges from simple patches of basidia-bearing mycelium to highly differentiated and specialised structures (most mushrooms, including stinkhorns, puffballs, earthstars and false truffles).

Basidium (pl. basidia): sporangium of the Basidiomycota, typically cylindrical or club-shaped and bearing 4 Basidiospores.

Compound sporocarp: in certain ascomycota, numerous, individual ascomata are embedded in a superstructure (stroma), forming compound sporocarps; typical examples are Cyttaria or Camarops.

Epigeous: above the soil surface; epigeous sporocarps are typical “mushrooms” which usually open at maturity and have a stipe, pileus and lamellae or tubes from which spores are discharged actively and dispersed by the wind.

Fruiting body: common name for sporocarp.

Hypogeous: below the soil surface; hypogeous sporocarps are commonly called truffles when they belong to the Ascomycota or false truffles when they belong to the Basidiomycota; they remain closed at maturity and their spores are dispersed by animals; a typical hypogeous Basidiomycete is Gautieria.

Lamella (pl. lamellae): vertically arranged, plate-like structure on the underside of fruiting bodies of the basidiomycetes on which basidia and basidiospores are formed.

Lignicolous: wood-inhabiting.

Mycorrhiza: symbiotic association between the absorbing roots of higher plants and the mycelium of certain fungi; in natural ecosystems, most plants depend on their mycorrhizal fungi in terms of nutrient and water acquisition; the fungi may also protect the plant against biotic and abiotic stress (pathogens, draught, toxic substances); the green plant nourishes its fungal symbionts with sugar compounds derived from photosynthesis;

Perithecium (pl. perithecia): tube- or pear-shaped, hollow ascoma in which mature asci liberate their ascospores through a narrow orifice (ostiolum) in the perithecial wall; a typical example is Camarops.

Pileus: “cap” of fungal fruiting bodies, term mainly used for Basidiomycetes.

Saprobiont: organism feeding on dead organic matter.

Secotioid: lamellae or pores of secotioid basidiomata are not or only partially exposed as the pileus does not fully expand at maturity and the sporocarp typically remains half-buried in the substrate; as a consequence, spores are not dispersed by the wind but by fungus-feeding soil invertebrates or mammals; therefore basidiospores are not actively discharged as ballistospores but drop off passively as statismospores; a typical secotioid basidiomycete is Thaxterogaster.

Sporocarp: fungal structure where sporangia and sexual (meiotic) spores are formed; according to the type of spore dispersal (by wind or animals), epigeous, secotioid and hypogeous sporocarps can be distinguished.

Statismospores: basidiospores of hypogeous and secotioid basidiomata, symmetrical and lacking an active discharge mechanism, instead they drop off passively.

Stipe: “stalk” of epigeous fungal fruiting bodies.

Tubes: densely arranged. fertile structures on the underside of fruiting bodies of certain basidiomycetes (Boletales), in which basidia and basidiospores are formed and discharged.