It’s A Black Flourisher!
Today, I’d like to start off with something no one, most likely, has ever told you before. For that, I came prepared and tagged along someone who’s a pro at it. In short, here with me is a particular Aisha.
And, together, we’d talk about an organism you’ve seen times without number that in fact, its name is Flourish because, well literally, it flourishes :)
Our topic’s name, which is gotten from the Latin word, Fungor, is the kingdom of the Imperfect Fungus (also known as the Deuteromycota) amongst others.
Firstly, a kingdom is this sort of big house that holds all the organisms on earth but our focus would strictly be on the Deuteromycetes of the kingdom Fungi.
The Deuteromycetes is a very weird, weird subdivision under its major division Eumycota under the kingdom Fungi. The Eumycetes consist of organisms that have true mycelium (meaning-wise), which is a group name of hyphae and hyphae are hairlike filaments. “Phew, such bulky information, right, Aisha?”
Actually these Deuteromycetes just means that they are second class fungi, and that’s why they’re imperfect. Although, there’s more.
They’re not only this just because there are some other superior organisms above them (which is actually true), but they have some features of the higher-up fungi, Ascomycetes majorly. They’re although still different from them because they don’t reproduce sexually.
“So, in other words, they undergo full mitotic phases, sprouting instantly and multiplying rapidly, you get what I mean, Zainab?” ;)
“Definitely! A process known as asexual reproduction.”
“Zainab, scientists have classified these imperfect fungi under the class Eurotiomycetes, why?”
“Only because they have Closed Ascocarps.”
“Well, care to tell us what those are?”
“Sure.”
Ascocarps are the sacs that contain the spores — reproductive seeds, so to say — of a fungi. The Deuteromycetes have this sac closed and that’s why they’re all under the class Eurotiomycetes and order Eurotiales. Most of the time, the order complements the class.
But, of course, in the order, there’s more information about them — like how they have these spores scattered in their hyphae or how they are bluish in colour.
Time’s up to finally meet the family of these flourishers, the Trichocomaceae! They represent organisms, according to their etymology, with hairlike, threadlike outgrowth (or filament) on the organisms they feed on.
“Oops, Aisha, we forgot to mention that fungi grow on other organisms to live.”
“Oh, that’s true! The hyphae of every fungi feeds through such relationship known as saprophytism — the feeding on dead or nutrient-abundant matter.”
The popular genus found in this unique family is none other than the “Aspergillus” aka blue molds causing blackened spots.
These organisms actually are called so because they disperse themselves around the matter they grow on which is also why they were named after the Latin word, “aspergere” meaning to spread.
We give you the Aspergillus niger, all the way from the kingdom Fungi, division Eumycota, subdivision Deuteromycota, class Eurotiomycetes, order Eurotiales and lastly, family Trichocomaceae.
With this, we’d draw the curtains and conclude with what we learnt today.
“Wasn’t that fun, Aisha?”
“Yes, it was. But, definitely hectic. Either way, I had a great time entertaining our audience!”
“Me too.”
Bye-bye, everyone!