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Morton and Redecker (2000) |
| Etymology: | Greek, "archaios" = ancient, referring to the ancient position of this genus in Glomales |
| Description: | All species form spores borne laterally from the neck of a pre-differentiated "sporiferous saccule", but mode of formation either is like that of species in Acaulospora or from a branch hypha (or "pedicel") to form a Glomus-like spore. Some species are dimorphic, forming both acaulosporoid and glomoid spore morphotypes. |
| Type species: | A. trappei Morton & Redecker |
Three modes of spore formation occur in this family:
(1) The spore develops from the side of the subtending hypha of a "sporiferous saccule" similar to that of species in Acaulospora (Acaulosporaceae). When the spore detaches, it is sessile (no attached subtending hypha).
(2) A hypha ("pedicel") first branches from the subtending hypha of a "sporiferous saccule" and the spore develops much like that of species of Glomus (Glomaceae) terminally by blastic expansion from this pedicel.
(3) 
Species
with Glomus-like spores forming from a "sporiferous saccule"
(2 above) also form separate Glomus-like spores directly from external
hyphae, some of which also can form saccules (see photo at right).
REFERENCES
Morton, J. B. and D. Redecker. 2001. Two new families of Glomales, Archaeosporaceae and Paraglomaceae, with two new genera Archaeospora and Paraglomus, based on concordant molecular and morphological characters. Mycologia (in press).