ABSTRACT
Zygomycota are commonly thought of as bread molds, but there are many species of fungi within this classification that form symbiotic relationships with plants or infect animal hosts. Two other common names for Zygomycota are pin molds and sugar molds. Mucorales are large, spherical, non-apophysate sporangia with pronounced columellae and conspicuous collarette at the base of the columella. Colonies are very fast growing, cottony to fluffy, white to yellow, becoming dark-grey, with the development of sporangia. During unfavourable condition, thick-walled, nutrition-rich, intercalary mycelium segments arise by septation of mycelium, termed as chlamydospores. With the onset of favourable condition, the chlamydospore germinates and gives rise to a new mycelium. A coarse cottony mold appearing over the surface is covered with pinhead-like structures (sporangia), white when young, black when mature.
