Sordaria

Sordaria is a genus of ascomycete fungi in the family Sordariaceae. Members are saprotrophic, typically growing on plant matter or on herbivore dung. The genus includes numerous species, among which Sordaria fimicola is the best known for educational and research use. Fungi in this genus form dark, small fruiting bodies called perithecia that are often embedded in the substrate.

Habitat and ecology

Sordaria species are common in temperate regions and are particularly associated with decomposing dung and plant debris. They play a role in nutrient cycling as decomposers and are widely distributed in soil and litter environments.

Morphology and life cycle

Ascomycete reproduction occurs through the formation of perithecia, flask-shaped structures that contain asci. Each ascus typically harbors eight ascospores. The spores are released when the asci rupture, enabling dispersal and germination under suitable conditions. Like other filamentous fungi, Sordaria has a haploid-dominant life cycle with a sexual stage that generates genetic diversity through recombination.

Genetic and educational relevance

Sordaria fimicola is a classic model organism in genetics education. Its asci provide a straightforward system for observing patterns of parental and recombinant spores, which reflect crossing over during meiosis. By analyzing ascus spore patterns, students can estimate recombination frequencies and explore concepts such as gene linkage and genetic distance.

taxonomy and identification

Sordaria belongs to the domain Eukaryota, kingdom Fungi, phylum Ascomycota, class Sordariomycetes, order Sordariales, and family Sordariaceae. Species are typically identified by a combination of morphological characteristics of the perithecia and asci and by ecological habitat.