Sclerotium

For the fungal genus Sclerotium, see Typhula.

Ergot sclerotia developing on wheat spikes

A sclerotium (plural sclerotia) is a compact mass of hardened fungal mycelium containing food reserves. One role of sclerotia is to survive environmental extremes. In some higher fungi such as ergot, sclerotia become detached and remain dormant until a favorable opportunity for growth. Other fungi that produce sclerotia are prominent pathogens for canola crops. These and related fungi are generally controlled through the use of fungicides and crop rotation.

Sclerotia resemble cleistothecia in both their morphology and the genetic control of their development. This suggests the two structures may be homologous, sclerotia being vestigial cleistothecia that lost the capacity to produce spores.^[1]

Notes

1. ^ Haarmann T, Rolke Y, Giebert S, Tudzynski P 2005.

References

• Haarmann T, Rolke Y, Giebert S, Tudzynski P (2005). "Ergot: from witchcraft to biotechnology", Molecular Plant Pathology, 10(4): 563-577.