Photo-micrographs

Photo-micrographs of some of our most favourite fungi. You may use them for getting acquainted with fungal beauty and for preparing lectures or similar. Please refer to the photographer Dr. Kerstin Voigt (FRC Jena), who also holds the copyright.

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Absidia glauca (Zygomycota, Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Mucoraceae). Asexual spore formation: Sporangia contain many uninucleated spores (left) and a large columella (right).

Allomyces macrogynus (Chytridiomycota, Chytridiomycetes, Blastocladiales, Blastocladiaceae). Thick-walled resting sporangia (meiosporangia) are readily formed on the homothallic organism. Allomyces occurs frequently in mud or soil in the tropics and subtropics.

Chaetocladium brefeldii (Zygomycota, Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Chaetocladiaceae). Formation of galls as the typical infection structure in the interaction between Chaetocladium brefeldii and its numerous mucoralean hosts. The parasite is a fusion biotroph and forms a cytoplasmic continuum with the host. Parasitism is accompanied by gene transfer from the parasite to the hosts.

Choanephora infundibulifera (Zygomycota, Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Choanephoraceae). Asexual spore formation.

Circinella umbellata (Zygomycota, Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Mucoraceae). Asexual spore formation: Sporangia.

Dissophora decumbens (Zygomycota, Zygomycetes, Mortierellales, Mortierellaceae). Asexual spore formation in sporangia without columellae. The mycelium of Mortierella relatives is irregularly septated.

Martensiomyces pterosporus (Zygomycota, Zygomycetes, Kickxellales, Kickxellaceae). Asexual spore formation. Unicellular sporangiola are grouped in merosporangia on sporoclades. Mark the regularly spetated mycelium.

Mycotypha indica (Zygomycota, Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Mycotyphaceae). Asexual spore formation on cob like structures. 250 x.

Mycotypha indica (Zygomycota, Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Mycotyphaceae). Sporangiola (single-spored sporangia) on cob like structures. 400 x.

Phycomyces blakesleeanus (Zygomycota, Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Phycomycetaceae). Sexual zygospore formation. 100 x.

Phycomyces blakesleeanus (Zygomycota, Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Phycomycetaceae). Sexual zygospore formation. 250 x.

Phycomyces blakesleeanus (Zygomycota, Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Phycomycetaceae). Sexual zygospore formation. 400 x. Details of suspensor formation.

Spinellus fusiger (Zygomycota, Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Mucoraceae or Phycomycetaceae?). Asexual spore formation: Sporangia.

Syncephalastrum racemosum (Zygomycota, Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Syncephalastraceae). Asexual spore formation: Spores in merosporangia, which are grouped around a bulb-like structure.

Syzigites megalocarpus (Zygomycota, Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Mucoraceae). Sexual zygospore formation.

Syzigites megalocarpus (Zygomycota, Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Mucoraceae). Asexual spore formation.

Syzigites megalocarpus (Zygomycota, Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Mucoraceae). Asexual spore formation: Sporangia in detail.

Students art work

Drawings from our practical courses on fungal phylogeny, which deal synoptically with all aspects of fungal development and phylogeny. Since Dr. Kerstin Voigt re-designed this course in the winter term 1999/00, it has attracted the highest number of participants among those studying microbiology. With this small collection of drawings from students' protocols we like to say thank you to many highly motivated students.

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Alternaria brassicicola (Dematiaceous Hyphomycetes). Pathogen of many Cruciferae, causing dark leaf spot. Muriform conidia (dictyospores) with several transverse and few longitudinal septa.

Chaetocladium brefeldii (Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Chaetocladiaceae). Formation of sporangiola.

Chaetocladium brefeldii (Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Chaetocladiaceae). Formation of galls as the typical infection structure in the interaction between Chaetocladium brefeldii and its numerous mucoralean hosts. The parasite is a fusion biotroph and forms a cytoplasmic continuum with the host. Parasitism is accompanied by gene transfer from the parasite to the hosts.

Chaetocladium brefeldii (Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Chaetocladiaceae). In somewhat more detail: Formation of galls as the typical infection structure in the interaction between Chaetocladium brefeldii and its numerous mucoralean hosts. The parasite is a fusion biotroph and forms a cytoplasmic continuum with the host. Parasitism is accompanied by gene transfer from the parasite to the hosts.

Chytridium confervae (Chytridiomycetes, Chytridiales, Chytridiaceae). Species of the genus Chytridium are typically parasitic on other fungi, on algae or protozoa. The globose zoosporangium with numerous uniflagellate zoospores is formed on a branched system of rhizoidal hyphae.

Dictyostelium discoideum (Dictyosteliales). Aggregation stages towards the formation of mature sorocarps with many asexual spores.

Mycotypha microspora (Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Mycotyphaceae). Dimorphic growth (Y/M dimorphism) and formation of sporangioles on cob-like structures.

Mycotypha microspora (Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Mycotyphaceae). Dimorphic growth (Y/M dimorphism) and formation of sporangioles on cob-like structures.

Phycomyces blakesleeanus (Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Phycomycetaceae). Sexual zygospore formation.

Physarum polycephalum (Physarales). Plasmodium.

Physarum polycephalum (Physarales). Asexual (mitotic) fruit body formation. Multi-headed sprorangia develop from the plasmodium.

Phytophthora sp. (Pythiaceae). These organisms are important pathogens of land plants. P. infestans causes late blight of potatoes. Zoospore formation.

Pilobolus sp. (Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Pilobolaceae). The sporangiophore has developed into an efficient instrument to discharge the sporangium. Sporangia are discharged vehemently towards the light.

Radiomyces spectabilis (Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Radiomycetaceae). Sexual spore: Zygospore.

Rhizopus stolonifer (Zygomycetes, Mucorales, Mucoraceae). Formation of asexual sporangia on long sporangiophores.

Schizosaccharomyces pombe (Hemiascomycetes, Endomycetales, Endomycetaceae). Asci with four ascospores develop in a single mother cell.

Schizophyllum commune (Hymenomycetes, Aphyllophorales, Schizophyllaceae). Dicaryotic substrate mycelium. Clamp formation.