Introduction to Fungi, Third Edition

ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION
505
Fig18.16 Sporotrichum state of Laetiporus sulphureus. (a) Branched aerial conidiophores with terminal chlamydospores.
(b) Intercalary chlamydospores. (c) Detached chlamydospores. (a) and (b) to same scale.
Fig18.17 SEM image of a bulbil of Minimedusa polyspora
produced in agar culture.
swollen segment packed with cytoplasm which
becomes the chlamydospore, there are empty
mycelial segments (Fig. 18.16b). The collapse of
these empty cells brings about release of the
chlamydospore (Fig. 18.16c) so that release is
rhexolytic, as already seen in certain ascomycete
conidia (see p. 235).
Fig18.18 Bulbillomyces farinosus.Fragment of a large
multicellular, branched propagule made up of inflated cells
with clamp connections at their base. Air is trapped between
the cells. From Abdullah (1980), with permission.
18.8.4 Bulbils
Certain basidiomycetes develop multicellular,
pseudoparenchymatous propagules composed
of thin-walled, undifferentiated, homogeneous
cells in the form of raspberry-like bulbils. A
classical example is the terrestrial basidiomycete
Minimedusa polyspora (Fig. 18.17; Weresub &
LeClair, 1971). Another good example of a multicellar
propagule is seen in the semi-aquatic