Mold Glossary
Absidia (Zygomycetes)
A common contaminant isolated from soil, air, stored grains, foods,
and the indoor environment. Reported to be allergenic and a rare cause
of human infection called zygomycosis.
Acremonium (Hyphomycetes)
Naturally found in soils, decaying organic matter, and plant debris.
Can be found in food and the indoor environment. Acremonium is a common
allergen, can produce a trichothecene mycotoxin, and volatile organic
compounds (VOCs).
Agrocybe (Basidiomycetes)
Medium to large mushrooms growing in grassy areas, on wood mulch, and
pine needles. Some species are edible.
Alternaria (Hyphomycetes)
A common saprobe found on decaying wood, decaying plants, food, soil,
and outdoor air. Some species are plant pathogens. Indoors, it can be
found in house dust, carpet, damp areas around showers and window frames,
and anywhere condensation occurs. Because of its abundance and ubiquity,
Alternaria is one of the most important fungal allergens and is recognized
as the chief fungal cause of hay fever. Infection is extremely rare.
Arthrinium (Hyphomycetes)
A cosmopolitan fungus isolated from plant debris and soil. Often isolated
from air near grassy places, but rarely found indoors. Not reported
to cause human or animal infection.
Arnium (Ascomycetes)
Most commonly isolated from dung. Not generally associated with human
disease and is most often considered benign.
Ascomycetes
Constitutes the largest class of fungi characterized by the production
of sexual spores in structures called asci. This includes plant pathogens,
saprobes, and decomposers. With a few exceptions, most Ascomycetes do
not grow in buildings and are seldom agents of wood rot. Ascomycetes
are the perfect stages of molds like Aspergillus and Penicillium. At
high levels, Ascomycetes spores may cause allergies.
Since most Ascomycetes are plant pathogens, ascospores
are common during the growing season of plants and rare during winter,
such as those of the Ascomycetes genera: Daldinia, Hypoxylon, Paraphaeosphaeria,
Phaeosphaeria, and Leptosphaeria.
Ascospores
Sexual spores produced by Ascomycetes.
Aspergillus (Hyphomycetes)
Teleomorph: Emericella (Ascomycetes), Eurotium (Ascomycetes)
Found in soil, compost piles, decaying vegetation, stored grain, and
other kinds of organic matter. Can be found indoors in water-damaged
buildings. A few species can cause aspergillosis in humans with compromised
or defective immune systems. Most people are naturally immune to this
infection of the lung. Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common cause
of aspergillosis, followed by A. flavus and A. niger. Some species are
able to produce mycotoxins, depending on the strain, substrate, and/or
food source. Others species are used in the manufacture of food, such
as A. oryzae or A. soyae for soy sauce.
Aureobasidium (Hyphomycetes)
A common saprobe frequently isolated from soil, plant surfaces, seeds,
grains, fruits and other food, human skin, and nails. Common indoors
in humid areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, poorly maintained HVAC systems,
and window frames. Allergies to Aureobasidium are common but infections
are rarely reported.
Basidiomycetes
A class of fungi characterized by spores formed on basidia. Includes
the mushrooms, toadstools, boletes, wood bracket fungi, and puffballs.
Some species are edible, such as Agaricus bisporus, the commercially
cultivated mushroom. A few species cause wood brown rot, white rot,
and dry rot in buildings.
Basidiospores
Sexual spores produced by Basidiomycetes.
Beauveria (Hyphomycetes)
Found in plant debris and soil. Some species are well known parasites
of insects. It is also isolated from food materials and indoor environments.
Bipolaris (Hyphomycetes)
A common saprobe and plant pathogen frequently isolated from plant debris
and soil. It is also a common cause of leaf spot on golf course turf.
A few species are capable of causing disease in humans.
Botrytis (Hyphomycetes)
Teleomorph: Sclerotinia (Ascomycetes)
Most species are important plant pathogens, such as B. cinerea, which
can cause gray mold disease on various plant parts. Can be found in
food and indoor environment, particularly on plants, fruits, and vegetables.
Cercospora (Hyphomycetes)
Teleomorph: Mycosphaerellaceae
Widespread plant pathogens that cause leaf spot on many plants.
Chaetomium (Ascomycetes)
A common fungus in soils, dung, decaying organic matter, seeds, and
wood or other cellulose-containing materials. Can be found indoors in
water-damaged buildings on sheet rock, wallpaper, and other paper products.
It is a common cause of food spoilage. Some species are allergenic but
rarely cause human infections.
Chromelosporium
Teleomorph: Peziza (Ascomycetes)
Chrysonilia (Hyphomycetes)
Teleomorph: Neurospora (Ascomycetes)
This genus is widespread; being found in food and indoors. Chrysonilia
sitophila is popularly referred to as the red bread mold that occurs
on breads, baked goods, meat, and fruits.
Chrysosporium (Hyphomycetes)
Teleomorph: Various Ascomycetes
A common soil saprobe occasionally isolated from human or animal skin
and nail. Chrysosporium inops is xerophilic and occurs in food.
Cladosporium (Hyphomycetes)
Teleomorph: Mycosphaerella (Ascomycetes)
Widely distributed as plant pathogens and saprobes. It is the most frequently
found fungus in outdoor air. Indoors, it usually occurs at low concentrations
in damp or humid areas, but may be found in high concentrations in water-damaged
building materials. Its ability to sporulate heavily and to get airborne
makes it an important fungal allergen. Frequently isolated as a contaminant
in foods. Only occasionally associated with disease in humans; one species
can cause chronic subcutaneous infection.
Coelomycetes
An artificial class of fungi characterized by asexual spores that are
produced within a cavity lined by fungal tissue or fungal and host tissues.
Most are saprobes or pathogens on plants, fungi, and lichens.
Coprinus (Basidiomycetes)
These mushrooms are popularly referred to as the inky caps because their
gills dissolve into a black inky fluid at maturity. Found on wood, dung,
humus, and soil. Some species are edible.
Curvularia (Hyphomycetes)
Teleomorph: Cochliobolus (Ascomycetes)
A common saprobe found in soil, plants, cereals, and cellulosic materials
such as paper and archives. Some species are plant pathogens but can
also occur indoors. It is allergenic and may cause infections in immunocompromised
people.
Dicyma (Hyphomycetes)
Teleomorph: Ascotricha (Ascomycetes)
Doratomyces
A saprobe commonly found on decaying plant materials, straw, dung, wood,
and in soil. It produces dark, sooty colonies. It has the ability to
penetrate cellophane and to decompose cellulose. Doratomyces stemonitis
is suspected to be the causal agent of "speck rot" on potatoes.
Dreschlera (Hyphomycetes)
Mostly plant pathogens that cause leaf spot, seedling blight, leaf stripe,
or net blotch.
Emericella (Ascomycetes)
Anamorph: Aspergillus (Hyphomycetes)
Usually found in soil, potatoes, grain, citrus, and stored seeds. Can
be found in food and the indoor environment. Emericella nidulans can
produce a sterigmatocystin mycotoxin and can be pathogenic to man and
animals.
Epicoccum (Hyphomycetes)
A cosmopolitan saprobe isolated from air, soil, grain, seeds, textiles,
paper products, and food materials. Can be a plant pathogen, and is
a common cause of leaf spots of various plants. Can be found in indoor
environments, where it can grow under conditions of low humidity. It
is a known allergen, and is occasionally isolated from human skin and
sputum.
Eurotium (Ascomycetes)
Anamorph: Aspergillus (Hyphomycetes)
Can be found in stored food, fruit juices, grains, nuts, milled rice,
spices, meat products, and peas. Also commonly occurs in indoor environments.
Eurotium herbariorum may cause keratitis and indigestion in man.
Exophiala (Hyphomycetes)
Widely distributed as a saprobe in soil, water, on plants and decaying
wood. It is an occasional contaminant of feet and nails. Exophiala infections
have also been reported in animals, including fish.
Fusarium (Hyphomycetes)
Soil-borne fungi containing many plant pathogens that cause root rot,
stem rot, fruit rot, and vascular wilt. Common on commodities, such
as rice, bean, soybean, and other crops. Some species are important
mycotoxin producers, and others notably F. oxysporum, F. solani and
F. moniliforme, are recognized as opportunistic pathogens of man and
animals. The species that can produce three of the five internationally
regulated mycotoxins are
| Fusarium sp |
Habitat |
Trichothecenes |
Zearalenone |
Fumonisins |
| F. acuminatum |
Food |
Can produce |
- |
- |
| F. crookwellense |
Food |
Can produce |
Can produce |
- |
| F. culmorum |
Food, Indoor |
Can produce |
Can produce |
- |
| F. equiseti |
Food |
Can produce |
Can produce |
- |
| F. graminearum |
Food |
Can produce |
Can produce |
- |
| F. poae |
Food |
Can produce |
- |
- |
| F. proliferatum |
Food |
- |
- |
Can produce |
| F. sambucinum |
Food |
Can produce |
- |
- |
| F. semitectum |
Food |
- |
Can produce |
- |
| F. sporotrichioides |
Food, Indoor |
Can produce |
- |
- |
| F. verticillioides |
Food |
- |
- |
Can produce |
