PEZIZA

Contents

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.