DEUTEROMYCETES

also called Fungi Imperfecti, artificial assemblage, or form-class, of fungi (kingdom Mycota) in which a true sexual state is uncommon or unknown. Many of these fungi reproduce asexually by spores (conidia or oidia) or by budding. Conidial stages are similar to those in the class Ascomycetes, but those of some species show affinities to lower (primitive) fungi and the class Basidiomycetes. The Deuteromycetes form-class is divided into four form-orders based on the presence or absence of fruiting bodies, which contain the spores: Sphaeropsidales, conidia borne in a pycnidium (a flask-shaped fruiting body); Melanconiales, conidia borne in an acervulus (a cushionlike fruiting body); Moniliales, conidia not borne in a fruiting body; and Mycelia Sterilia, no conidia produced. Many members are of great economic importance, some causing serious diseases of plantsanthracnose, botrytis blight, and wilt (qq.v.)and of animals, including humansaspergillosis, candidiasis, and ringworm (qq.v.). Molds of the genus Penicillium (q.v.) are of great therapeutic importance.