Distribution
Cosmopolitan.
Approx. 8 species.
Where Found
Found on grasses, plants and soil; on decaying fruiting bodies of Russula mushrooms.
Mode of Dissemination
Wet spore.
Insects, water splash and wind when dried out.
Growth Indoors
Myrothecium has been identified as an indoor contaminant. Occurance is rare.
Industrial Uses
None known.
Other Comments
None.
Allergens
Not studied.
Potential Opportunist or Pathogen
No reports of human infection.
Potential Toxin Production
Trichothecenes (verrucarins and roridins).
Growth/Culture Characteristics
Grows on general fungal media. Spores have a gray green pigment.
Spore Trap Recognition
Identifiable on spore trap slides as a distinctive gray-green cylindrical spore with striations, a flat base, and a pointed end.
Tape Lift Recognition
Distinctive, although very rarely seen on tape lifts in our laboratory.