Hyphomycetes are a
form classification of
Fungi, part of what has often been referred to as Fungi imperfecti,
Deuteromycota, or
anamorphic fungi. Hyphomycetes lack closed
fruit bodies, and are often referred to as
moulds (or molds). Most hyphomycetes are now assigned to the
Ascomycota, on the basis of genetic connections made by life-cycle studies or by
phylogenetic analysis of
DNA sequences; many remain unassigned phylogenetically. Identification of hyphomycetes is primarily based on microscopic
morphology including:
conidial morphology, especially
septation, shape, size, colour and cell wall texture, the arrangement of conidia as they are borne on the conidiogenous cells (e.g. if they are solitary, arthrocatenate, blastocatenate, basocatenate, or gloiosporae), the type conidiogenous cell (e.g. non-specialized or
hypha-like,
phialide, annellide, or
sympodial), and other additional features such as the presence of sporodochia or
synnemata.