Ceratocystis/Ophiostoma group |
Ascomycetes with multiple asexual forms: Graphium, Leptographium, Sporothrix-like anamorphs, Chalara. | |
| Distribution | Where Found | Mode of Dissemination |
| Ubiquitous; cosmopolitan. Approx. 56 species, both genera. |
Commercial lumber, tree and plant pathogen. /span> | Wet spore. Insects. |
| Allergen | Potential Opportunist or Pathogen | Potential Toxin Production |
| Not studied. Persons most likely to be affected would be lumber-yard workers or carpenters. |
Not reported to infect humans or animals. A connection between Ophiostoma and the human pathogen Sporothrix schenckii has been proposed but not confirmed. | None listed. |
| Growth Indoors | Industrial Uses | Other Comments |
| Most homes built with lumber have areas of growth on wood framing inside walls. | None known. | Ophiostoma ulmi is the cause of Dutch Elm Disease. |
| Characteristics: Growth/Culture | Notes on Spore Trap Recognition | Notes on Tape Lift Recognition |
| Some species may grow on specialized laboratory media. Asexual forms grow on general fungal media. | Not identifiable on spore trap slides. On rare occasions the spores of Gonatobotryum, which grows parasitically on Ceratocystis, are seen on spore trap samples (an indirect indication of the presence of this group of fungi). | Distinctive fruiting bodies with long necks are identifiable on tape lifts. |
