Fruiting Bodies

The fruiting body in Pyronema is the apothecium. Other fruiting bodies occur in other species. In some species, the fruiting body containing the asci and the paraphyses may be entirely closed. This is called a cleistothecium and is shown in figure 19-4a. In one genus, Exoascus, there is no evident fruiting body. Rather, the asci and paraphyses develop on an open surface. A fruiting body that is nearly but not quite enclosed is called a perithecium (figure 19-4b).

Several ascocarps: (a) a cleistothecium; (b) a perithecium; (c) an apothecium; and (d) an ascostroma
Figure 19-4 Several ascocarps: (a) a cleistothecium; (b) a perithecium; (c) an apothecium; and (d) an ascostroma.

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