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Pilobolus
EntityQ3273234· pop 13· linked from 26 articles

Pilobolus is a genus of fungi that commonly grows on herbivore dung.

Species

GENUS

  1. KingdomFungi
  2. PhylumMucoromycota
  3. ClassMucoromycetes
  4. OrderMucorales
  5. FamilyPilobolaceae
Observations recorded4,081

via GBIF

Museum specimens

Specimen records
35
With media
8
Family
Pilobolaceae
Collections
NCU, NEB, UFPE, MEL, DEWV, CUP
Recorded in
United States, Brasil, Australia, Bermuda, Sweden, Norway, France

~3 min read

Encyclopedic overview

3 sections
Contents
  • Life cycle
  • References
  • External links

Pilobolus is a genus of fungi that commonly grows on herbivore dung.

==Life cycle== The life cycle of Pilobolus begins with a black sporangium that has been discharged onto a plant substrate such as grass. A herbivorous animal such as a horse then eats the substrate, unknowingly consuming the sporangium as well. The Pilobolus sporangium survives the passage through the gastrointestinal tract without germinating, and emerges with the excrement. Once outside its host, spores within the sporangium germinate and grow as a mycelium within the excrement, where it is a primary colonizer. Later, the fungus fruits to produce more spores.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Pilobolus” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (3)