The ''Cunninghamellaceae'' are a
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
of
fungi
A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...
in the order
Mucorales
The Mucorales is the largest and best studied order of zygomycete fungi. Members of this order are sometimes called pin molds. The term mucormycosis is now preferred for infections caused by molds belonging to the order Mucorales.
Systematics ...
.
Taxonomy
At one time, this family contained four genera.
[Hesseltine C. W. & J. J. Ellis. 1973. Mucorales. ''in'': The Fungi: An Advanced Treatise. Volume 5B. A Taxonomic Review with Keys: Basidiomycetes and Lower Fungi. Academic Press. New York. pg. 187-217.] At present, the number of genera in this family is under debate.
According to Benny and Alexopoulos, the family only contains the genus ''
Cunninghamella
Cunninghamella is a genus of fungi in the order Mucorales, and the family Cunninghamellaceae. The genus was circumscribed by French mycologist Alphonse Louis Paul Matruchot in Ann. Mycol. Vol.1 on page 47 in 1903.
The genus name of ''Cunning ...
''.
[Alexopoulos C. J., C. W. Mims, & M. Blackwell. 1996. Introductory Mycology. Fourth Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.] However, other (recent) authors have listed other genera, including ''
Absidia
''Absidia'' is a genus of zygote fungi in the family Cunninghamellaceae. ''Absidia'' species are ubiquitous in most environments where they are often associated with warm decaying plant matter, such as compost heaps. Some species in the genus c ...
'', ''
Halteromyces'', and ''
Hesseltinella''.
[Walther, G., Pawlowska, J., Alastruey-Izquierdo, A., Wrzosek, M., Rodriguez-Tudela, J. L., Dolatabadi, S., ... & de Hoog, G. S. (2013). DNA barcoding in Mucorales: an inventory of biodiversity. Persoonia, 30(1), 11-47.] The full list can be viewed at the webpag
Cunninghamellaceaemaintained by Gerald L. Benny.
Morphology
Hypha
A hypha (; ) is a long, branching, filamentous structure of a fungus, oomycete, or actinobacterium. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium.
Structure
A hypha consists of one or ...
e are
coenocytic
A coenocyte () is a multinucleate cell which can result from multiple nuclear divisions without their accompanying cytokinesis, in contrast to a syncytium, which results from cellular aggregation followed by dissolution of the cell membranes insid ...
and produce