''Phialophora'' is a form genus of

fungus 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 t ...

with short

conidiophore A conidium ( ; ), sometimes termed an asexual chlamydospore or chlamydoconidium (), is an asexual, non-motile spore of a fungus. The word ''conidium'' comes from the Ancient Greek word for dust, ('). They are also called mitospores due to the ...

s, sometimes reduced to

phialide The phialide ( ; el, phialis, diminutive of phiale, a broad, flat vessel) is a flask-shaped projection from the vesicle (dilated part of the top of conidiophore) of certain fungi. It projects from the mycelium without increasing in length unless ...

s; their conidia are unicellular. They may be

parasites Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson ha ...

(including on humans), or

saprophytic Saprotrophic nutrition or lysotrophic nutrition is a process of chemoheterotrophic extracellular digestion involved in the processing of decayed (dead or waste) organic matter. It occurs in saprotrophs, and is most often associated with fungi ( ...

(including on

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...

s). Genetic analysis of ''Phialophora'' shows that it is a paraphyletic grouping. The conidia are produced from a flask shaped phialide. Mature, spherical, to oval conidia are extruded from phialides and usually accumulate around it. Some members of ''Phialophora'' are involved in symbiotic relationships with

leafcutter ants Leafcutter ants, a non-generic name, are any of 47 species of leaf-chewing ants belonging to the two genera '' Atta'' and ''Acromyrmex''. These species of tropical, fungus-growing ants are all endemic to South and Central America, Mexico, and pa ...

where they grow on the cuticle of the ants and fulfill a

role that aids in the fungal gardening on which the ants rely.

References

External links

* Eurotiomycetes Eurotiomycetes genera {{Eurotiomycetes-stub