Emericella species (Anamorph: Aspergillus species)

A slow to moderately rapid growing fungus that produces a green to white to pale yellow colony within fourteen days, when incubated at 25oC (77oF). Purple-brown or yellow cleistothecia (a round fruiting body without an opening that contains randomly placed asci containing ascospores) are produced. Ascospores are either purple-red or light yellow. Yellow or dark brown specialized thick-walled cells (Hülle cells) are present. In culture, the anamorph form is also present. It has worldwide distribution and can be isolated from air, soil, desert soil, sand dunes, peat, garden compost, garden soil, salt marshes, mangrove mud, sewage sludge, sugar cane, coconut groves, rice, cotton, potatoes, citrus, alfalfa, barley, bat caves, bird feathers, grain seeds, groundnuts, and animals. Rarely, it can be an opportunistic pathogen causing mycetomas in man, pulmonary lesions in horses, and aspergillosis in chickens and ducks.

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