ABSTRACT
Fungal propagation involves sporogenesis, which includes the simpler and more ubiquitous clonal spores, and/or more complex and less frequent sexual spores. The former comprises motile zoospores and immotile sporangiospores, sporocarps and conidiospores, which arise from differentiation of preformed mycelia by either fragmentation, as in thalloids or budding in others. The adaptive strategies engaged by the Ingoldian aquatic, and aeroterrestrial fungi are explained. Whereas the basidiomycotes engage in less efficient ballistosporic mechanism to discharge spores, the pezizomycotines engage in a more efficient explosive gun shooting mechanism. The quantity of clonal spore production is far greater and lasts longer than that of sexual spores. Interestingly, the externally fertilizing basidiomycotes generate a greater number of basidiospores than that of internally fertilizing ascomycotes. Longevity is a little longer for the smaller spores of basidiomycotes than that of larger ascospores. Notably, it may last for a few months and years in teliospores. The longest distances travelled by a few phytopathogenic fungal spores are listed.
