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School of Molecular & Biomedical Science
The University of Adelaide
AUSTRALIA 5005

Contact:
Dr David Ellis
Email

Telephone:
 +61 8 8161 6459
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 +61 8 8161 7589

Dematiaceous Moulds

Disclaimer: Please note that some of the images within this gallery are somewhat explicit and are not recommended for viewing if you are squeamish or under the age of 18.

 

  • Black rot caused by several common dematiaceous moulds.
  • "Acrophialophora fusispora" culture, phialides and conidia.
  • "Alternaria sp." - Alternaria sp. showing typical darkly pigmented (dematiaceous) black to olivaceous-black, suede-like to floccose colony.
  • “Alternaria sp.” – Culture.
  • "Alternaria alternata" - showing branched acropetal chains of multicellular conidia produced sympodially from simple, sometimes branched, short or elongate conidiophores. Conidia are obclavate, obpyriform, sometimes ovoid or ellipsoidal, often with a short conical or cylindrical beak, pale brown, smooth-walled or verrucose.
  • “Alternaria sp.” – Conidia (photo from Evanthia Tambosis).
  • “Alternaria sp.” – Conidia
  • “Aureobasidium pullulans” – Culture (photo from Tom Karagiannis).
  • “Aureobasidium pullulans” – Culture (photo from Niall Hamilton).
  • "Aureobasidium pullulans" - Microscopic morphology showing chains of 1- to 2-celled, darkly pigmented arthroconidia that represent the Scytalidium anamorph of Aureobasidium.
  • “Aureobasidium pullulans” – Hyaline blastoconidia and pigmented chlamydoconidia (photo from Niall Hamilton).
  • "Bipolaris australiensis" - showing sympodial development of darkly pigmented, multicellular conidia on a geniculate or zig-zag rachis. Conidia are produced through pores in the conidiophore wall and are fusiform to ellipsoidal, germinating only from the ends. 
  • "Bipolaris australiensis" - Showing sympodial development of darkly pigmented, multicellular conidia. 
  • "Chromoblastomycosis" - Chronic verrucose chromoblastomycosis of the foot due to Phialophora verrucosa. Note tissue hyperplasia characterized by the formation of verrucoid, warty cutaneous nodules raised 1 to 3cm above the skin surface.
  • "Chromoblastomycosis" - Chronic verrucous chromoblastomycosis of the hand due to Cladophialophora carrionii. Note tissue hyperplasia forming a white verrucoid cutaneous lesion.
  • "Chromoblastomycosis" - Chronic verrucous chromoblastomycosis of the hand due to Cladophialophora carrionii. Note tissue hyperplasia forming a white verrucoid cutaneous lesion.
  • "Chromoblastomycosis" - Skin scrapings from a patient with chromoblastomycosis mounted in 10% KOH and Parker ink solution showing characteristic brown pigmented, planate-dividing, rounded sclerotic bodies.
  • "Chromoblastomycosis" - Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained sections showing characteristic dark brown sclerotic cells, which divide by binary fission and not by budding. Note all agents of chromoblastomycosis form these sclerotic bodies in tissue.
  • "Chromoblastomycosis" - Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained sections showing characteristic dark brown sclerotic cells, which divide by binary fission and not by budding. Note all agents of chromoblastomycosis form these sclerotic bodies in tissue.
  • "Cladosporium cladosporioides" - Branching chains of single-celled conidia produced in an acropetal manner from simple erect, pigmented conidiophores. Conidia are pale brown to dark brown and have a distinct dark hilum. Note the conidia closest to the conidiophore, and where the chains branch, are usually "shield-shaped".
  • "Cladophialophora carrionii" - Colonies are slow growing, reaching 3-4cm in diameter after l month, with a compact suede-like to downy surface. Colonies are olivaceous-black in colour and have well defined margins.
  • "Cladophialophora carrionii" - Microscopic morphology showing typical Cladosporium type conidial ontogeny with elongate conidiophores producing branched acropetal chains of smooth-walled conidia.
  • "Cladophialophora carrionii" - Microscopic morphology showing typical Cladosporium type conidial ontogeny with elongate conidiophores producing branched acropetal chains of smooth-walled conidia.
  • "Cladophialophora bantiana" - Conidia formed in long, sparsely branched, flexuous, acropetal chains from undifferentiated conidiophores. Conidia are one-celled (very occasionally two-celled), pale brown, smooth-walled, ellipsoid to oblong-ellipsoid and are 2-3 x 4-7mm in size.
  • “Curvularia sp” – Culture.
  • "Curvularia lunata" - showing pale brown multicelled conidia formed apically through a pore in a sympodially elongating geniculate conidiophore similar to Drechslera. Conidia are cylindrical or slightly curved, with one of the central cells being larger and darker.
  • "Curvularia lunata" - showing pale brown multicelled slightly curved conidia, with one of the central cells being larger and darker.
  • “Curvularia sp” – Conidia.
  • "Epicoccum nigrum" - Epicoccum nigrum showing a cluster of darkly pigmented (phaeo), globose to pyriform, rough walled multicellular conidia (dictyoconidia).
  • "Exserohilum sp." - Conidia are straight, curved or slightly bent, ellipsoidal to fusiform and are formed apically through a pore (poroconidia) on a sympodially elongating geniculate conidiophore. Conidia have a strongly protruding, truncate hilum and the septum above the hilum is usually thickened and dark.
  • "Exserohilum sp." - Conidia are straight, curved or slightly bent, ellipsoidal to fusiform and are formed apically through a pore (poroconidia) on a sympodially elongating geniculate conidiophore. Conidia have a strongly protruding, truncate hilum and the septum above the hilum is usually thickened and dark. 
  • “Exserohilum rostrum” – Conidia (photo from Mark Sullivan).
  • "Exophiala jeanselmei" - Exophiala jeanselmei on Sabouraud's dextrose agar showing black mucoid, yeast-like streaked colonies producing, with age, greenish-grey suede-like aerial mycelium. Reverse is olivaceous-black.
  • "Exophiala sp" - Culture
  • "Exophiala jeanselmei" - Numerous ellipsoidal, yeast-like, budding cells are usually present, especially in young cultures. Scattered amongst these yeast-like cells are larger, inflated, subglobose to broadly ellipsoidal cells (germinating cells) which give rise to short torulose hyphae that gradually change into unswollen hyphae. Conidia are formed on lateral pegs either arising apically or laterally at right or acute angles from essentially undifferentiated hyphae or from strongly inflated detached conidia. Conidiogenous pegs are 1-2 (-3)mm long, slightly tapering and imperceptibly annellate. Conidia are hyaline, smooth, thin-walled, broadly ellipsoidal, 3.2 - 4.4 x l.2 - 2.2mm and with inconspicuous basal scars.
  • "Exophiala jeanselmei" - Conidiogenous pegs are 1-2 (-3)mm long, slightly tapering and imperceptibly annellate. Conidia are hyaline, smooth, thin-walled, broadly ellipsoidal, 3.2 - 4.4 x l.2 - 2.2mm and with inconspicuous basal scars.
  • "Exophiala jeanselmei" - Conidia are formed on lateral pegs either arising apically or laterally at right or acute angles from essentially undifferentiated hyphae or from strongly inflated detached conidia. Conidiogenous pegs are 1-2 (-3)mm long, slightly tapering and imperceptibly annellate. Conidia are hyaline, smooth, thin-walled, broadly ellipsoidal, 3.2 - 4.4 x l.2 - 2.2mm and with inconspicuous basal scars.
  • "Exophiala jeanselmei" - Conidia are formed on lateral pegs either arising apically or laterally at right or acute angles from essentially undifferentiated hyphae or from strongly inflated detached conidia. Conidiogenous pegs are 1-2 (-3)mm long, slightly tapering and imperceptibly annellate. Conidia are hyaline, smooth, thin-walled, broadly ellipsoidal, 3.2 - 4.4 x l.2 - 2.2mm and with inconspicuous basal scars.
  • "Exophiala spinifera" - Exophiala spinifera culture.
  • "Exophiala spinifera" - Exophiala spinifera showing pigmented spine-like conidiophores and clusters of single-celled annelloconidia produced in basipetal succession from an annellide.
  • "Fonsecaea pedrosoi/monophora complex" - Conidiophores and conidia.
  • “Madurella mycetomis” – Culture showing diffusible brown pigment.
  • "Madurella mycetomatis" -Excised mycetoma showing a draining sinus (cut open in this preparation) containing black grains.
  • "Madurella mycetomatis" - Grains of Madurella mycetomatis (tissue microcolonies) are brown or black, 0.5 to 1.0 mm in size, round or lobed, hard and brittle, composed of hyphae which are 2 to 5mm in diameter, with terminal cells expanded to 12 to 15 (30)mm in diameter.
  • "Madurella mycetomatis" - Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained tissue section showing black grained eumycotic mycetoma caused by Madurella mycetomatis. (Courtesy Dr O'Keefe, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, N.S.W.).
  • "Madurella mycetomatis" - Culture of Madurella mycetomatis showing the typical brown diffusible pigment in the agar. Colonies are slow growing, flat and leathery at first, white to yellow to yellowish-brown, becoming brownish, folded and heaped with age and the formation of aerial mycelia. A brown diffusible pigment is characteristically produced in primary cultures. M. mycetomatis can be distinguished from Madurella grisea by growth at 37C and its inability to assimilate sucrose.
  • "Madurella mycetomatis" - M. mycetomatis showing phialides (rarely seen as most isolates are sterile). Although most cultures are sterile, two types of conidiation have been observed, the first being flask-shaped phialides that bear rounded conidia, the second being simple or branched conidiophores bearing pyriform conidia (3-5mm) with truncated bases. The optimum temperature for growth of this mould is 37C.
  • “Madurella mycetomis” – Culture and phialides.
  • "Nattrassia mangiferae" - Microscopic morphology of the Scytalidium dimidiatum synanamorph of Nattrassia mangiferae showing chains of one- to two-celled, darkly pigmented arthroconidia.
  • "Tinea nigra" - Typical brown to black, non-scaling macules on the palmar aspect of the hands. Note there is no inflammatory reaction. (Courtesy of Dr J. W. Rippon, University of Chicago, U.S.A.).
  • "Tinea nigra" - Skin scrapings mounted in 10% KOH showing pigmented brown to dark olivaceous (dematiaceous) septate hyphal elements and 2-celled yeast cells producing annelloconidia typical of Hortaea werneckii. (Courtesy of Dr J.W. Rippon, University of Chicago, U.S.A.).
  • "Hortaea werneckii" - Initially colonies are mucoid, yeast-like and shiny black. However with age they develop abundant aerial mycelia and become dark olivaceous in colour.
  • "Hortaea werneckii" - Microscopic morphology showing the typical 2-celled, pale brown yeast cells, with prominent darkly-pigmented septa, which act as annellides. Annellides may also arise from the hyphae. Annelloconidia are l to 2-celled, cylindrical to spindle-shaped, hyaline to pale brown and usually occur in aggregated masses.
  • "Hortaea werneckii" - culture and conidia.
  • “Ochroconis gallopava” – Culture.
  • “Ochroconis gallopava” – Conidiophores and conidia.
  • “Ochroconis gallopava” – Conidiophores and conidia.
  • "Phaeoacremonium parasiticum" - culture.
  • "Phaeoacremonium parasiticum" - culture.
  • "Phaeoacremonium parasiticum" - phialides and conidia.
  • "Phaeoacremonium parasiticum" - phialide.
  • "Phialophora verrucosa" - Phialophora verrucosa on Sabouraud's dextrose agar. Colonies are slow growing, initially dome-shaped, later becoming flat, suede-like and olivaceous to black in colour.
  • "Phialophora verrucosa" - Microscopic morphology showing typical Phialophora type conidial ontogeny with well-formed, flask-shaped or elliptical phialides having distinctive widely flaring, pigmented collarettes. The single-celled phialoconidia are produced in basipetal succession and aggregate in slimy heads at the apices of the phialide.
  • “Phialophora verrucosa.” – Phialides and conidia.
  • "Phialophora sp." - showing clusters of single-celled phialoconidia (ameroconidia) produced in basipetal succession from a phialide. Note conidia are not formed in chains but aggregate in slimy heads at the apices of the phialides, which show distinctive collarettes.
  • “Phialophora sp.” – Phialides and conidia.
  • “Phialophora richardsiae” – Phialides and conidia.
  • “Phialophora richardsiae” – Phialides and conidia.
  • “Phialophora richardsiae” – Phialides and conidia.
  • “Phialophora richardsiae” – Phialides and conidia.
  • "Pithomyces chartarum" - conidia.
  • "Ramichloridium schulzeri" - Conidiophores showing sympodial development of conidia of R. schulzeri.
  • "Ramichloridium schulzeri" - Conidiophores showing sympodial development of conidia of R. schulzeri.
  • "Rhinocladiella atrovirens" - Culture.
  • "Rhinocladiella atrovirens" - conidiophores showing a terminal denticulate rachis, conidia and budding yeast cells.
  • "Scedosporium apiospermum" - Culture showing typical greyish-white, cottony colony with a greenish-black reverse.
  • "Scedosporium apiospermum" - Microscopic morphology showing numerous, single-celled, pale-brown, broadly clavate to ovoid conidia, borne singly or in small groups on elongate, simple or branched conidiophores or laterally on hyphae.
  • "Graphium eumorphum" - Synnemata and conidia of Graphium eumorphum a synanamorph of Pseudallescheria boydii.
  • "Pseudallescheria boydii" - Ascocarps are yellow-brown to black, spherical cleistothecia (non-ostiolate ascocarps) which are mostly submerged in the agar and consist of irregularly interwoven brown hyphae. When crushed cleistothecia release numerous, faintly brown, ellipsoidal ascospores.
  • "Scedosporium aurantiacum" - Culture showing typical greyish-white, cottony colony with a yellow reverse.
  • "Scedosporium aurantiacum" - Microscopic morphology showing numerous, single-celled, pale-brown, broadly clavate to ovoid conidia, borne singly or in small groups on elongate, simple or branched conidiophores or laterally on hyphae.
  • "Scedosporium apiospermum and Scedosporium aurantiacum" - Reverse pigmentation of cultures.
  • "Scedosporium prolificans" - Cultures are olive-grey to black and have a suede-like to downy surface texture.
  • "Scedosporium prolificans" - Cultures are olive-grey to black and have a suede-like to downy surface texture.
  • "Scedosporium prolificans" - Conidia are borne in small groups on distinctive basally swollen, flask-shaped annellides, which occur singly or in clusters along the vegetative hyphae. 
  • "Scedosporium prolificans" - Conidia are borne in small groups on distinctive basally swollen, flask-shaped annellides, which occur singly or in clusters along the vegetative hyphae. 
  • "Stemphylium sp." - Stemphylium sp. showing solitary, darkly pigmented (phaeo), terminal, multicellular conidia (dictyoconidia) formed on a distinctive conidiophore with a darker terminal swelling. Note the conidiophore proliferates percurrently through the scar where the terminal conidium (poroconidium) was formed. Stemphylium should not be confused with Ulocladium, which produces similar dictyoconidia from a sympodial conidiophore, not from a percurrent conidiogenous cell as in Stemphylium.
  • "Torula herbarum" - Conidia.
  • “Ulocladium sp.” – Culture.
  • “Ulocladium sp.” – Multicelled conidia.
  • “Ulocladium sp.” – Multicelled conidia.
  • "Ulocladium sp." - Ulocladium sp. Colonies are rapid growing, brown to olivaceous-black or greyish and suede-like to floccose. Microscopically, numerous, usually solitary, multicelled conidia (dictyoconidia) are formed through a pore (poroconidia) by a sympodially elongating geniculate conidiophore. Conidia are typically obovoid (narrowest at the base), dark brown and often rough-walled. Seven species have been described all being saprophytes.
  • "Veronaea botryose" - Microscopic morphology of Veronaea botryose. Conidiophores are erect, straight or flexuose, occasionally branched and are usually geniculate, due to the sympodial development of the conidia. Conidia are pale brown, 2-celled, cylindrical with a truncated base, smooth-walled or slightly verrucose [5-12 X 3-4mm].
  • "Wangiella dermatitidis" - Wangiella dermatitidis showing flask-shaped to cylindrical phialides without distinctive collarettes. Conidia are hyaline to pale brown, one-celled, round to obovoid, 2.0-4.0 x 2.5-6.0 mm smooth-walled and accumulate in slimy balls (glioconidia) at the apices of the phialides or down their sides. Cultures grow at 42oC.