Abstract:

In order to investigate the difference and causes of the three morphology of mycelia (aerial mycelium, hyphae knot and substrate mycelium) that appeared in the artificial culture of Ophiocordyceps sinensis, strain isolated from single ascospore as materials,the microstructure and ultramicrostructure of the three morphology of mycelia were observed with microscopy and scanning electron microscopy respectively. The results showed that the diameter of hyphae was manifested as hyphae knot>aerial mycelium>substrate mycelium; the aerial mycelia were loosely arranged and attached with a large number of conidia on the surface of mycelia. The hyphae knot had obvious fold, kink and cross-linked between each other. The substrate mycelium was densely arranged, and the hyphae fused and branched obviously. It was indicated that three morphology mycelium of Ophiocordyceps sinensis were the normal characteristics of the species and not impacted by the purity of the strain or species. The conidia were born directly by budding at the end or middle of aerial hypha.

Key words: Ophiocordyceps sinensis, mycelial morphology, microstructure, scanning electron microscope