356 CLASS ASCOMYCETEAE 



Ascocarps with peridium consisting of loosely interwoven hyphae, conidia 



formed in chains. Family Gymnoascaceae 



Ascocarps at maturity with thin cortex or more stroma-like with a thick cortex 



surrounding one or more glebal masses of asci. Conidia mostly catenulate. 



Family Aspergillaceae 

 Ascocarps stromatic at base, the mass of asci and ascospores pushing out of the 



top as a columnar structure. Conidia not known. 



Family Trichocomaceae 

 Ascocarps stalked, with a spherical head which dehisces variously at maturity 



to release the spores. Conidia not known. Family Onygenaceae 



(If Nannfeldt (1932) is followed the two families below must be added to this key.) 

 Perithecia thin-walled, with long slender ostiolate necks, from whose apex the 



hyaline ascospores are exuded in a slimy drop. Family Ophiostomataceae 

 Perithecia thin-walled, without neck, covered with numerous long, dark-colored, 



variously branched or coiled hairs. Ascospores dark and extruded in a slimy 



drop. Family Chaetomiaceae 



Key to the Commoner Genera of the Family Aspergillaceae 



Perithecia without neck or ostiole. 



Perithecia without distinct hair coating or appendages, at least at maturity. 



Perithecia small, usually bright-colored, at maturity reduced to a thin cortex, 



containing the ascospores freed by the dissolution of the internal tissues 



and the eight-spored asci. Ascospores biconvex, with a grooved edge, often 



with two ridges. Conidial stage Aspergillus. Eurotium or 



Aspergillus 



Perithecia small, bright- or dark-colored, of two types: sclerotial with thick, 



firm cortex with the central portion occupied by the eight-spored asci and 



with ascospores as in the preceding, or with loose, hyphal cortex and the 



ascospores without marginal groove. Conidial stage Penicilliurn. 



Penicillium 

 Perithecia small, at maturity with thin cortex, at first containing many eight- 

 spored asci, but these and the surrounding tissues dissolve so that the 

 spherical or ellipsoidal hyaline or red ascospores lie free. Mycelium red or 

 purple in mass. Conidia single or in short chains. Monascus 



Perithecia 0.5-1 mm. in diameter, with a thick, firm cortex containing numer- 

 ous ovoid asci, each with eight spherical, roughened, yellow to brown asco- 

 spores. Conidial stage Gliocladvum. Lillipuiia 

 Perithecia stalked, 2-3 mm. in diameter, with firm cortex, and containing 

 several irregular, gleba-like masses of sporogenous tissue. Asci two- to 

 eight-spored, ascospores with several ridges running in different directions. 

 Conidial stage resembling Penicilliurn or Sterigmatocystis. Tropical. 



Penicilliopsis 

 Perithecia with distinct hair coating or coiled appendages. 



Spherical or depressed, with simple or club-shaped hairs. Cortex firm and 

 thick. Ascospores small, ellipsoidal or lenticular, colored. 



Cephalotheca 

 Depressed, often bluntly angled, with long appendages at each corner, coiled 

 at the tip. Magnusia 



Perithecia with neck or ostiole. Doubtfully belonging to this order. Here could 

 be placed Microascus and Emericella if they are transferred from the Order 

 Sphaeriales. 



