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Glossary
Fungi & Lichen:
Agaric: Fungi with fruiting bodies of a cap, stipe & lamellae. Occurs in
Basidiomycota.
Anamorph: Asexual structure/stage of fungi
Apothecia: Spore-bearing structure with a discoid/cup-like shape. Occurs in Fungi &
Lichen
Asci: Sac-like spore-producing structure of Ascomycota.
Bitunicate: Asci with two walls: a brittle outer wall (ectotunica) and an elastic
inner wall (endotunica).
Prototunicate: Asci with a thin wall that breaks down to release spores rather
than by rupture
Unitunicate: Asci with one wall and one opening (operculum)
Ascocarps: The fruiting bodies – sporocarp - of Ascomycete fungi.
Apothecia: Disc/cup-shaped ascocarp with asci on the upper surface. It may
include sterile elements.
Cleistothecia: Asci enclosed in a thick-walled globulus ascocarp, which
ruptures to release spores
Perithecia: Asci enclosed in a flask-shaped ascocarp with an opening (ostiole)
at the tip.
Basidia: Spore-producing layer of hymenium
Boletes: Fungi with fruiting bodies of a cap but pores instead of lamellae. Occurs in
Basidiomycota.
Coenocytic Hyphae: Fungal hyphae without divisions but many nuclei. Occurs in
Zygomycota.
Conidia: Asexual propagules/spores
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Cortex: Upper (and sometimes lower) layer of the thallus.
Dikaryotic Stage: Binucleate cell (2n) when separate nuclei are fused through
karyogamy.
Gleba: Fleshy spore-bearing inner mass of fungi such as puffballs and stinkhorns.
Heterokaryotic Stage: Multinucleate cell (n + n) with nuclei from different parent
cells.
Heterothallic: Self-sterile fungi require two different mating factors from two
individuals to reproduce sexually.
Holomorph: Teleomorph + anamorph, entire fungal life cycle
Homothallic: Self-fertile fungi with two mating factors within one individual
(fusion).
Hymenium: Tissue layer of a fungal fruiting body where cells develop into basidia or
asci and produce spores. May include sterile hairs (paraphyses)
Isidia: Asexual reproduction; outgrowths of the lichen cortex that break off easily and
increase SA:V for photosynthesis/gas exchange.
Karyogamy: The stage of a fungal life cycle where the two separate nuclei fuse,
leading to a dikaryotic stage.
Medulla: Internal layer composed of loosely woven hyphae.
Mycobiont: The fungal partner in lichen.
Perithecia: Specialised structures in Ascomycetes fungi. Flask-shaped and containing
asci (which release spores).
Photobiont: The algal/cyanobacterial partner in lichen.
Plasmogamy: The stage of a fungal life cycle where two parent cells fuse w/o fusion of
nuclei, leading to a heterokaryotic stage.
Rhizines: Attachment organs on the underside of foliose lichen.
Septate Hyphae w Clamp Connections: Fungal hyphae with divisions and hyphal
clamps connect these divisions. Functions to maintain the dikaryotic state.
Occurs in Basidiomycota.
Septate Hyphae: Fungal hyphae with divisions. Occurs in Ascomycota.
Glossary
Fungi & Lichen:
Agaric: Fungi with fruiting bodies of a cap, stipe & lamellae. Occurs in
Basidiomycota.
Anamorph: Asexual structure/stage of fungi
Apothecia: Spore-bearing structure with a discoid/cup-like shape. Occurs in Fungi &
Lichen
Asci: Sac-like spore-producing structure of Ascomycota.
Bitunicate: Asci with two walls: a brittle outer wall (ectotunica) and an elastic
inner wall (endotunica).
Prototunicate: Asci with a thin wall that breaks down to release spores rather
than by rupture
Unitunicate: Asci with one wall and one opening (operculum)
Ascocarps: The fruiting bodies – sporocarp - of Ascomycete fungi.
Apothecia: Disc/cup-shaped ascocarp with asci on the upper surface. It may
include sterile elements.
Cleistothecia: Asci enclosed in a thick-walled globulus ascocarp, which
ruptures to release spores
Perithecia: Asci enclosed in a flask-shaped ascocarp with an opening (ostiole)
at the tip.
Basidia: Spore-producing layer of hymenium
Boletes: Fungi with fruiting bodies of a cap but pores instead of lamellae. Occurs in
Basidiomycota.
Coenocytic Hyphae: Fungal hyphae without divisions but many nuclei. Occurs in
Zygomycota.
Conidia: Asexual propagules/spores
, 2
Cortex: Upper (and sometimes lower) layer of the thallus.
Dikaryotic Stage: Binucleate cell (2n) when separate nuclei are fused through
karyogamy.
Gleba: Fleshy spore-bearing inner mass of fungi such as puffballs and stinkhorns.
Heterokaryotic Stage: Multinucleate cell (n + n) with nuclei from different parent
cells.
Heterothallic: Self-sterile fungi require two different mating factors from two
individuals to reproduce sexually.
Holomorph: Teleomorph + anamorph, entire fungal life cycle
Homothallic: Self-fertile fungi with two mating factors within one individual
(fusion).
Hymenium: Tissue layer of a fungal fruiting body where cells develop into basidia or
asci and produce spores. May include sterile hairs (paraphyses)
Isidia: Asexual reproduction; outgrowths of the lichen cortex that break off easily and
increase SA:V for photosynthesis/gas exchange.
Karyogamy: The stage of a fungal life cycle where the two separate nuclei fuse,
leading to a dikaryotic stage.
Medulla: Internal layer composed of loosely woven hyphae.
Mycobiont: The fungal partner in lichen.
Perithecia: Specialised structures in Ascomycetes fungi. Flask-shaped and containing
asci (which release spores).
Photobiont: The algal/cyanobacterial partner in lichen.
Plasmogamy: The stage of a fungal life cycle where two parent cells fuse w/o fusion of
nuclei, leading to a heterokaryotic stage.
Rhizines: Attachment organs on the underside of foliose lichen.
Septate Hyphae w Clamp Connections: Fungal hyphae with divisions and hyphal
clamps connect these divisions. Functions to maintain the dikaryotic state.
Occurs in Basidiomycota.
Septate Hyphae: Fungal hyphae with divisions. Occurs in Ascomycota.
