| | ||||||
| | | | | | | |
|
Gerdemann & Trappe (1973) emend. Berch (1985) |
| Etymology: | Greek, "spores without a stem" or sessile spores |
| Description: | In this genus, spores are borne laterally from the neck of a pre-differentiated "sporiferous saccule". |
| Type species: | A. laevis Gerd. & Trappe |
The sporiferous saccule develops blastically from a hyphal tip. After the saccule has become fully expanded, a spore begins to develop from the side of the subtending hypha (termed "saccule neck"). As the spore matures, the saccule loses its contents (it does not empty into the spore) and eventually sloughs off so that it often is not attached to fully mature spores.
The distinction between Acaulospora and its sister genus, Entrophospora, seems large in the positioning of the spore as it develops from the saccule neck, but it reality it is a small variation in overall development of spores. This topic was explored in an article first published in the INVAM Newsletter, Vol. 5, No. 1 that now can be viewed on-line for viewers who are interested (click here).