Zygomycota >> Zygomycetes >> Zoopagales >> Syncephalis sphaerica

Phylum：Zygomycota　>>　Class： Zygomycetes　>>　 Order： Zoopagales


BCRC Number：	NO BCRC Number!

Scientific Name：	Syncephalis sphaerica	$Syncephalis sphaerica. A, B, E, LM (Normaski); C-D, SEM. A. Sporophore with head and merosporangia (arrow head) (Stained with cotton blue). Bar = 50 µm; B. Fragmented merospores (S) on head (H). Bar = 20 µm; C. Fertile head (H) with warts (arrow heads) left after merosporangia detached. Bar = 15 µm; D. Fragmented merospores (S) on head (H). Bar = 38 µm; E. Mature and detached merosporangiospores, note the refractive bodies (arrows) on both ends of the spore. Bar = 20 µm.$



Author：	Syncephalis sphaerica van Tieghem, Ann. Sci. Nat. 6 ser. 1:125, pl.3. Figs. 105-109. 1875.





Description：	Vegetative hyphae arachnoid, 0.5 µm in diameter. Merosporangiophores erect, stand singly or 1-6 in cluster, 400-600 µm heigh, 12-22 µm broad at the base, tapering towards head, thinnest at the site below the head, 6-7 µm in diameter, very rarely septated. Rhizoids digitate, 3-6 µm long, separated from the merosporangiophore by a distinct basal septum. Heads oval to spherical, 27.5-44 µm in diameter, bearing merosporangia in a dense cluster on upper half of heads. Merosporangia cylindrical, articulating into 3-6 merospores when mature, usually three. Conspicuous warts left on the upper surface of head after detachment of the merosporangia. Merospores stout, cylindrical, or rod shaped, 5-5.1 × 11-12.5 µm. Membrane derived from sporangial wall stout, remained on the surface of the spores, forming fringes on both ends of the spores. Remarkable refractive bodies appeared near both ends of the spores, pale yellow in mass. Zygospores not observed.





Specimens：	SYMC0203, Parasitized on Gongronella butleri (Mucoraceae). isolated from soil, Yangmingshan, Taipei, Jan. 2001.



Habitat：	null



Distribution：	Australia; Canada; China; France; Germany; India; Japan; Taiwan; UK; USA.



References：	Benjamin, RK. 1959; Ho. HM. 2001; Tieghem Van, P. 1875.



Provided：	H. M. Ho


Note：	This species is closely related to S. tranzschelii Naumov. The difference between these two species according to Naumov (Zycha et al., 1969) was that the spore size of the latter was 11-14 µm. The isolated sample has smaller spore size.