Konid

Konid, commonly called conidium in English, is an asexual spore produced by fungi. It serves as a dispersal unit that enables rapid colonization during favorable conditions. Konidia are typically non-motile, produced by mitosis, and borne on specialized hyphae called conidiophores, though some species form them directly on the hyphae. They vary in size, shape, color, and wall texture, ranging from unicellular spheres to multicellular, septate forms, and may be colorless or pigmented depending on the species and stage of development.

Conidiogenesis describes their formation. The main modes are phialidic, in which new conidia bud from a fixed conidiogenous cell (phialide) and are produced in a chain; and blastic, where a new conidium forms by enlargement of a portion of the parent cell before separation. Conidia may be solitary or arranged in chains, heads, or synnemata, depending on the fungus.

Konidia are a primary means of asexual reproduction in many Ascomycota and related fungi, contributing to spread in air, water, and on biotic vectors. They differ from sporangiospores, which are produced within sporangia; conidia are typically not enclosed in a sac. The study of konidia—morphology, sizes, ornamentation, and the way they form—assists fungal taxonomy and identification, as many species have characteristic conidial features.

Some languages use the term konid (konidium) to refer to conidia; in English the standard term is conidium or conidia.