MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

I found this in a pile of hay. I think it is the sporangium of some type of fungi because it still has an attached remnant of stalk. Can anybody confirm? Better yet, can anybody identify genus?

It is a member of the family Mucoraceae, likely a Mucor, Rhizomucor, or Rhizopus. It is an immature sporangium though, notice how thick the wall is and the lack of obvious spores inside. You need the entire structure, intact, including the point of origin on the hypha and preferably, a mature specimen for a good identification.

Basic Fuchsin (should really be fuchsine) can be purchased on amazon. It is one of my favorite stains for microfungi. You make a .1% solution in the highest concentration lactic acid you can buy, so long as it is above 85%. 80% might work if you cannot find anything better. Despite what some websites say, you can use acid fuchsin as well. I have used both. If I am working with mushrooms I usually use 0.1% congo red in 10% KOH. I believe congo red can be purchased on amazon as well.

mnmyco

mnmyco wrote:It is a member of the family Mucoraceae, likely a Mucor, Rhizomucor, or Rhizopus. It is an immature sporangium though, notice how thick the wall is and the lack of obvious spores inside. You need the entire structure, intact, including the point of origin on the hypha and preferably, a mature specimen for a good identification.

Basic Fuchsin (should really be fuchsine) can be purchased on amazon. It is one of my favorite stains for microfungi. You make a .1% solution in the highest concentration lactic acid you can buy, so long as it is above 85%. 80% might work if you cannot find anything better. Despite what some websites say, you can use acid fuchsin as well. I have used both. If I am working with mushrooms I usually use 0.1% congo red in 10% KOH. I believe congo red can be purchased on amazon as well.

mnmyco

Thank you very much! I am ignorant to much of the kingdom fungi, so I am very grateful for your expertise and advise! I actually found several of these in the fecal flotation of horse manure. The sporangium appears very similar to some ova of parasitic nematodes; however, the sporangium was much too small and it did not have a the grainy appearance of a morulated ova, so I started imagining other possible identities. I have always been fascinated by fungi, so I envy your knowledge! I will definitely check out the acid fuchsin! I know of a lab which should have some prepared. Thank you!

With the images juxtaposed, the sporangium is OBVIOUSLY not a nematode egg; however, this is not so easy to pick-up on when looking at unknowns without scale bars! Please, check out the resemblance of the immature sporangium to the ova of intestinal roundworms found on fecal flotation:
If interested, see even more images here:
- Ascaris sp.: https://www.veterinaryparasitology.com/ascaris.html
- Toxocara sp.: https://www.veterinaryparasitology.com/toxocara.html