Torula sp. |
Mitosporic fungus. Hyphomycetes. | |
| Distribution | Where Found | Mode of Dissemination |
| Ubiquitous; cosmopolitan. Found most frequently in temperate regions. Approx. 8 species. |
Soil, dead herbaceous stems, wood, grasses, sugar beet root, groundnuts and oats. /span> | Dry spore. Wind. |
| Allergen | Potential Opportunist or Pathogen | Potential Toxin Production |
| Type I allergies (hay fever, asthma). | No reports of human infection. | Torula herbarum was cytotoxic in screening tests performed by our laboratory. The nature of the toxin(s) is unknown. |
| Growth Indoors | Industrial Uses | Other Comments |
| Found indoors on cellulose containing materials such as jute, old sacking, wicker, straw baskets, wood, and paper. | Not known. | Nomenclatural problems: Torula is sometimes confused with the yeast Torulopsis. Torulosis is an old name for cryptococcosis, a disease in humans caused by the yeast Cryptococcus neoformans. |
| Characteristics: Growth/Culture | Notes on Spore Trap Recognition | Notes on Tape Lift Recognition |
| Grows vegetatively on general fungal media but usually requires specialized media for sporulation. | Distinctive, not easily confused with other genera. | |
