STUDIES ON SPECIES OF OIDIODENDRON, HELICODENDRON, AND STACHYBOTRYS FROM SOIL

Abstract

Oidiodendron nigrum Robak was recorded for the first time from soil. The method of conidial production was examined and it was found that thick-walled endospores were produced within the parental hyphal walls rather than a simple fragmenting and rounding-off of sporiferous hyphae. An isolate of Helicodendron tubulosum from soil was found to differ from previously described isolates in the production of a second phialospore-type conidial stage and in the ability of mature helicoid spores to fragment at maturity into a number of smaller functional units. Isolates corresponding to Stachybotrys cylindrospora Jensen were examined and found to be distinct from Stachybotrys atra with which it had previously been regarded as synonymous.