Conidiospore types in Cochliobolus sativus

Abstract

In four mono-ascospore isolates of Cochliobolus sativus (Ito & Kurib.) Drechsler ex Dastur and in some dark-coloured and one albino conidial isolates (Bipolaris sorokiniana (Sacc.) Shoemaker=Helminthosporium sativum Pamm., King & Bakke) five types of spores were produced: (i) non-furcate porospores; (ii) non-furcate gangliospores; (iii) furcate porospores; (iv) furcate gangliospores; and (v) blastospores. Though non-furcate porospores were typical of the species, the consistent production of gangliospores by all isolates and of blastospores by two of them was noteworthy. Porospores and gangliospores may be produced on the same conidiophore and each may follow the acrosporous or the holosporous type of development. Clones derived from a non-furcate porospore, a non-furcate gangliospore or a furcate spore each yielded a mixture of these spore types. The significance of these findings is briefly discussed.