Phylum: Zygomycota
This phylum contains about 600 described species that are mostly
terrestrial in habitat, living in soil or on
decaying plant or animal material. This
division has coenocytic mycelium, asexual reproduction is by non- motile spores (=sporangiospores) that are
produced in sporangia borne on stalks (=sporangiophores). Zygomycota, like all true fungi, produce cell walls
containing chitin. They grow primarily as mycelia, or filaments of long cells
called hyphae. Their name is derived from their way of reproducing
sexually. The principal characteristic that distinguishes this class is the
production of a thick walled resting spore called a zygospore. The
zygospore develops inside a zygosporangium that is formed after fusion or
conjugation - of morphologically similar two gametangia (structures
containing gametes).
Class: Zygomycetes
Characteristics of the class is the same as those of the phylum.
Order Mucorales:
This is widespread group of
moulds occurring as furry growths on damp bread, rotting fruit, and especially
on dung in humid weather • Examples: Rhizopus, Phycomyces, Mucor andPilobolus
Mucoraceae