conidiophore

A conidiophore is a specialized fungal hypha or stalk that bears conidia, the asexual spores produced by many fungi. It typically arises from the vegetative mycelium and ends in a conidiogenous region where conidia are formed. Conidia are released directly from the surface, rather than from inside a sporangium, so conidiophores are distinct from sporangiophores.

The architecture of conidiophores varies widely among taxa. Some are simple, unbranched stalks with a single conidial head, while others are elaborate and branched. Conidia are produced on specialized conidiogenous cells, such as phialides or annellides, whose distinctive shapes contribute to the appearance of the conidiophore. In Penicillium species, the conidiophore forms a brush-like structure with metulae supporting slender phialides. In Aspergillus species, a vesicle at the tip supports a uniseriate or biseriate layer of phialides.

Functionally, conidiophores enable rapid asexual reproduction and dispersal of the fungus. The lightweight conidia are easily carried by air, water, or animals, allowing colonization of new substrates. This mode of reproduction is especially important for fungi in environments where sexual reproduction is limited or not observed.

Conidiophores occur in many Ascomycota and related fungi, including those known in informal or imperfect fungi groups. Their morphology is a key feature in identifying genera and species in clinical, agricultural, and environmental mycology.