Myrothecium sp

Mitosporic fungus. Hyphomycetes.

Characteristics

Distribution

Cosmopolitan.
Approx. 8 species.

Where Found

Found on grasses, plants and soil; on decaying fruiting bodies of Russula mushrooms.

Mode of Dissemination

Wet spore.
Insects, water splash and wind when dried out.

Growth Indoors

Myrothecium has been identified as an indoor contaminant. Occurance is rare.

Industrial Uses

None known.

Other Comments

None.

Potential Health Effects

Allergens

Not studied.

Potential Opportunist or Pathogen

No reports of human infection.

Potential Toxin Production

Trichothecenes (verrucarins and roridins).

Laboratory Notes

Growth/Culture Characteristics

Grows on general fungal media. Spores have a gray green pigment.

Spore Trap Recognition

Identifiable on spore trap slides as a distinctive gray-green cylindrical spore with striations, a flat base, and a pointed end.

Tape Lift Recognition

Distinctive, although very rarely seen on tape lifts in our laboratory.