PEZIZA

Contents hide
1 PEZIZA
1.1 CLASSIFICATION OF PEZIZA
1.2 STUDY OF VEGETATIVE STRUCTURE​
1.3 STUDY OF CONIDIA/CHLAMYDOSPORES
1.4 ASCOCARP, ASCI AND ASCOSPORES​
1.5 IDENTIFICATION

PEZIZA

CLASSIFICATION OF PEZIZA

Kingdom :- Mycota

Division :- Eumycota

Sub-division :- Ascomycotina

Class :- Discomycetes

Order :- Pezizales

Family :- Pezizaceae

Genus :- Peziza

Peziza are seen growing on dung and on decaying wood, in damp places in rainy season.

STUDY OF VEGETATIVE STRUCTURE​

COMMENTS :-

  • It is a common saprophyte growing on rich humus soils and decaying woods. Sometimes it becomes coprophilous (Le. grows on dung). 
  • The mycelium is a complex system that penetrates the substratum.
  • The mycelium is profusely branched, septate and the cells are multinucleate. 
  • The mycelium becomes visible only in the form of apothecial cups above the ground surface.

Peziza. Ascocarps growing on decaying wood.

STUDY OF CONIDIA/CHLAMYDOSPORES

COMMENTS :-

    • The conidia are the asexual reproductive bodies. These are produced rarely. 
    • Conidia are hyaline, to lightly coloured and elliptical. 
    • lit some species, thick walled and intercalary chlamydospores are produced singly or in series on mycelium. 
    • On germination chlamydospore produces a new mycelium.

Peziza V.s. ascocarp.

ASCOCARP, ASCI AND ASCOSPORES​

COMMENTS :- 

  • The ascocarp is an apothecium. It is fleshy, shortly stalked, about 5 cm in diameter with a bright red or bright grey lining.
  • A vertical section of ascocarp shows a cup shaped structure made up of mycelium. It shows 3 regions-hymenium, hypothecium and excipulum. 
  • Hymenium consists of asci and paraphyses arranged vertically In organe-red-coloured palisade-like layer.
  • The hypothectum consists of thin and lightly coloured hyphae that runs parallel to hymenium. 
  • Excipulum forms a basal large part of loosely interwoven hyphae of apothecium. 
  • The hymenium is encircled by densely interwoven hyphae forming the wall of the apothecium-the peridium. 
  • Ascus is elongated with a single row of eight ascospores, arranged obliquely. 
  • Each ascospore is uninucleate, hyaline or faintly coloured, elliptical, surface smooth or coarsely reticulate and ellipsoidal. It germinates to form new mycelium.

Pezim V.s ascocarp (portion magnified).

IDENTIFICATION

  • KINGDOM – Mycota
    1. Chlorophyll absent
    2. Reserve food glycogen
    3. Cell wall of fungal cellulose.
  • DIVISION – Eumycota
    1. A definite cell wall present.
  • SUB-DIVISION :- Ascomycotina
    1. Mycelium septate.
    2. Spores borne endogenously in the ascus.
    3. Spores in definite numbers, in multiples of two, usually eight.
  • CLASS :- Discomycetes
    1. Ascocarp, an apothecium.
  • ORDER – Pezizales
    1. Apothecia fleshy or leathery.
    2. Apothecia usually not in stroma.
  • FAMILY – Pezizaceae
    1. Apothecia cup-shaped or discoid.
    2. apothecia not differentiated into stipe and pileus.
  • GENUS – Peziza
    1. Apothecium 1 to 5 cm in diameter and conspicuous.
    2. Vegetative mycelium penetrating the substratum.
    3. Ascospores not apiculate.

REFERENCES

Leave a Reply