Operculate Discomycetes

Life cycle of Pezizales

Submitted by
Naseem Bibi
Roll no .16
BS Botany
Characteristics of Operculate Discomycetes:

• A vast group having cup-shaped fungi , some saucer-

shaped and some club-fungi
• Some mushroom-like, sponge-like fungi are also prese
• It contains about 2,720 genera and 28,650 species.
• These produce fruitification called apothecium is the main
feature of identification of Discomycetes.
 Apothecium
• The apothecia vary in colour through a wide range and may be
red, yellow, orange, brown, black or even colourless.
• It is divided into three anatomical regions.
oHymenium
oSub hymenium
oExcipulum
• Hymenium is made up of cylindrical /club shaped asci and
paraphyses in palisade layer
• Sub-hymenium is a zone of tissue that give rise to asci and
paraphyses
• Excipulum-2 parts- ectal and medullary
• The members commonly produce asci within apothecium, may
be operculate/inoperculate.
• They vary in shape as well. Often they are typical cups or
discs, but other forms such as sponges, saddles, tongues, and
bells are not in any way uncommon. The ascocarps invariably
are open
• Paraphyses usually occur intermingled with the asci.
 Asci
The asci are club-
shaped or cylindrical in
form and are arranged in
columnar disposition (a
palisade-like layer) on
the surface or in open
cavities.
• The only exceptions are the truffles in which the
underground ascocarps remain closed.
 Habitat
• In habit the Discomycetes are mostly saprobes found growing in
high humidity on soil, humus, dead logs of wood and dung.
• A few are parasites cause serious diseases of economic
importance.
• Some are coprophilus and also constitute lichens. For instance.,
Sclerotinia fruticola-Brown rot in pear Quercus- Mycorrhizae
forming.
 Classification
In most of the Discomycetes the ascocarps are above ground. They are
called epigean. The epigean Discomycetes are usually divided into the
following two groups:
• Inoperculate
The ascospores escape through an apical circular pore at the tip of the
ascus or by splitting of ascus at the apex.
• Operculate
The ascospores are released through a preformed apical pore which opens
by a lid-like structure at the apex.
Ainsworth divided Discomycetes into 6 orders viz.,
• Pezizales
• Tuberales
• Rhytismatales
• Ostropales
• Helitiales
• Cyttariales
Each order contains some families and a few orders
Tuberales
• Commonly called Truffles
• Used as food, in liquor making, for scenting tobacco, in
perfumes etc.
• The ascomata remains closed and are fleshy to
leathery/globose with a hymenium
• Mycorrhizae-Quercus
 Rhytismatales
(Phacidiales)

• Saprobes/Plant parasites
on leaves and wood
• Produce Characteristic
apothecoid ascocarps
immersed in a
stroma/host tissue
• Asci are inoperculate
and apically thick
Ostropales

• Saprobes/parasites of herbaceous/woody stem

• Crustose Lichen formation
• Asci long and cylindrical
• Young ascal apex, thick, traversed by a pore through
which ascospores are discharged
 Helitiales
• Inoperculate forms
• Saprobes on soil,
deadwood, dung and
parasites that cause plant
diseases(Sclerotinia spp.)
• Ascocarps may be
Superficial or immersed in
Substratum
Cyttariales
• Large ascomata spherical
to pyriform
• Asci are operculate
• Cushion of epiplasn
remains between
ascospores
Pezizales
• Largest of operculate Discomycetes usually saprobes
on soil, deadwood, plant debris/humus
• Apothecia may be fleshy/brittle /leathery rarely
gelatinous
• The asci are arranged in a distinct hymenium with
paraphyses
• Edible Morchella esculenta
 Classification
kingdom Mycota
Division Eumycota
Sub-division Ascomycota
Class Discomycetes
Order Pezizales
Family Pezizaceae
Genus Peziza
Asexual Reproduction of Peziza:

• Asexual reproduction takes place by conidia and

chlamydospores.
• The conidia are formed exogenously at the tip of
conidiophores.
• Conidia germinate to form the new mycelium.
• Some intercalary, thick-walled cells are formed in the
mycelium. These are chlamydospores. On germination, they
form new mycelium
Sexual Reproduction of Peziza:

• Sexual Reproduction takes place by means of

antheridium and ascogonium.

• Sexual fusion results into a bright colored, cup-shaped,

large and sessile apothecial type of fruiting body
Reproductive Structures of Peziza
. In vertical section
of an apothecium,
these structures are
visible
• Apothecium consists of mycelium with a basal
hypothecium.

• Hymenium region consists of many fertile asci and sterile

paraphyses.

• Sub-hymenium is made up of pseudo- parenchymatous

hyphae which later on form the peridium of the cup.

• In each ascus are present eight uninucleate ascospores

which form the new mycelium on germination.
Thankyou