Sclerotium delphinii

With Sclerotium delphinii infected Hosta ( Hosta ) with visible sclerotia

Sclerotium delphinii is a cosmopolitan species of mushroom -like ( Agaricales ). The species is a significant pest.

Features

From the non- flaky, seilartigem mycelium grow two to five millimeters long and between 0.5 and three millimeters thick of white fruit stems from the substrate. This stems consist of parallel spawn and thicken up spherical. Then the ball is growing faster than in the pages vertically and forms the sclerotium. Initially without regular surface, an approximately 30 micron thick smooth surface of irregular cells formed, which are very dense. Exceeds the sclerotium 1.5 millimeters in diameter, easily occur differently colored bodies of about 540 microns in diameter, which secrete fluid. The color darkens over light yellow-brown, then yellow-brown, after heufarben.

The size of the Sklerotiums varies considerably and is on average 2.18 mm, maximum 5.18 millimeters. Rarely grown sclerotia two together and then reach a length of almost a centimeter. The sclerotia are hemispherical and flattened above. They are hollow so that they are lying on the head of a shell resembling a navel -like scar ( hilum ) in the middle of the peduncle spot. Frequently, many sclerotia combine to create an irregular, solid crust.

When germination often grows out of a whole bunch of new mushrooms directly from the Muttersklerotium. Occasionally, no new mycelium is formed, but directly a new sclerotium.

Ecology

Sclerotium delphinii attacks the roots of host plants. The fungus spreads in a circle in the ground and then leads to large circles of dead host plants. In the selection of host plants Sclerotium delphinii does not seem to be very specific and affects a large number of genera and species.