Define features of Fusarium - Identification of Fungi and Yeasts?
Identifying features of Fusarium:
1. Wooly, white fuzzy colonies changing colour to pink, purple or yellow.
2. Mycelium consists of septate and branched hyphae. Hyphae are colourless or have a tinge of pink, purple or yellow when young, but at maturity become dark coloured.
3. Asexual reproduction takes place by formation of three kinds of spores - Microconidia, Macroconidia and Chlamydospores.
4. Microconidia are very small, rounded or oval and arise at the tips of simple or branched conidiophores in small masses. The conidiophores are distinguishable from the vegetative hyphae.
5. Macroconidia is large, elongated, sickle or crescent shaped, multi-cellular conidia having two to four cells. These are produced at the tips of simple or sparingly branched conidiophores, which are assembled to form a sporodochium type of fructification.
6. Chlamydospores are round, oval and thick walled cells formed singly or in chains of two or more. These are resting spores.
7. Compact resting bodies called sclerotia are also produced which serve as a storage organ and a means of perennation.