Description of Cladosporium
provided by BioPedia
Colonies dark greenish to black, black in reverse, and relatively slow-growing. The dark spores are 1- or 2-celled and occur in long, branching chains that arise from a dark conidiophore. The youngest spore is at the top of the chain. The slightest movement will disrupt the chains, making microscope mounts of the whole structure nearly impossible. The best way to recognize the genus is by the prominent scars on the spores where the adjacent ones were attached. Very common on decaying plants; occurs widely in domestic environments and implicated in allergic problems and the like. Over 30 species. Generally non-pathogenic but Cladosporium carrionii is an agent of chromoblastomycosis in subtropical and tropical regions.
