Descriptions of species in the Rhizophydiales
- As one of the earliest genera of chytrids to be described, Rhzophydium is rich in species based on the classically used characters dealing with thallus morphology and host or substrate utilization.
- Research on these organisms using ultrastructural and molecular characters has revealed that the classically used characters are not always reliable in revealing relationships. In addition some organisms have a broad range of host and substrate, and species limits are not accurately circumscribed using the classical characters alone.
- To complicate species identification even more, thallus morphology is often plastic, a condition referred to as pleomorphic mophology. Consequently, repeated observations of thalli at different stages in the life history of a chytrid are necessary to capture diagnostic features of the thallus.
- However, morphology is the starting place in the study of these organisms; and when coupled with phylogenetic analyses based on gene sequences is valuable in describing species.
- The interactive keys to the classicially described species of Rhizophydium species allow you to begin to characterize a Rhizophydium you may have observed or isolated.
- To go deeper in your characterization of a Rhizophydium species, it is helpful to read the orginal description of the organisms. You will find the reference to the orginal description of a species with the illustration of species in the interactive keys.......
- Or you can go directly into a bibliography of the literature to classically described Rhizophydium species.
- Thallus morphology, however, is not a primary character used in contemporary descriptions of chytrids. Rather correspondence between molecular phylogeny and zoospore ultrastructure is now used to characterize taxa.
Most Recent Publications
Letcher PM; Velez CG; Schultz S, Powell MJ. 2012. New taxa are delineated in Alphamycetaceae (Rhizophydiales, Chytridiomycota). Nova Hedwigia 94 (1-2): 9-29.
Powell MJ; Letcher PM, Longcore JE. 2011. Operculomyces is a new genus in the order Rhizophydiales. Mycologia 103 (4):854-862. DOI: 10.3852/10-293.