Black Bread Mold

Rhizopus stolonifer

''Rhizopus stolonifer'' is commonly known as black bread mold. It is a member of ''Zygomycota'' and considered the most important species in the genus ''Rhizopus''. It is one of the most common fungi in the world and has a global distribution although it is most commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions. It is a common agent of decomposition of stored foods. Like other members of the genus ''Rhizopus'', ''R. stolonifer'' grows rapidly, mostly in indoor environments.
Black Bread Mold - Rhizopus stolonifer This is an economically important fungus because it causes stored food to decompose. It occurs on over 300 species, most commonly on fruit. In sweet potatoes, it causes Rhizopus soft rot by infecting fresh wounds on the potatoes. Habitat: Sweet potato https://www.jungledragon.com/image/87174/black_bread_mold_-_rhizopus_stolonifer.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/87173/black_bread_mold_-_rhizopus_stolonifer.html Fall,Geotagged,Rhizopus,Rhizopus stolonifer,United States,black bread mold,mold

Habitat

''Rhizopus stolonifer'' is a worldwide distributed species. It is found on all types of mouldy materials. It is often one of the first molds to appear on stale bread. It can exist in the soil as well as in the air. A variety of natural substrata are colonized by this species because ''R. stolonifer'' can tolerate broad variations in the concentration of essential nutrients and can use carbon and nitrogen combined in diverse forms.

In the laboratory, this fungus grows well on different media, including those that contain ammonium salts or amino compounds. However, ''R. stolonifer'' will not grow on Czapek’s agar because it cannot utilize nitrogen in the form of nitrate.Rhizopus lives in hyphae and matured spores
Black Bread Mold - Rhizopus stolonifer This is an economically important fungus because it causes stored food to decompose. It occurs on over 300 species, most commonly on fruit. In sweet potatoes, it causes Rhizopus soft rot by infecting fresh wounds on the potatoes. Habitat: Sweet potato https://www.jungledragon.com/image/87172/black_bread_mold_-_rhizopus_stolonifer.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/87173/black_bread_mold_-_rhizopus_stolonifer.html Black Bread Mold,Fall,Geotagged,Rhizopus stolonifer,United States

Reproduction

''Rhizopus stolonifer'' can reproduce asexually and sexually. It is a heterothallic species. Sexual reproduction occurs when compatible mating strains are paired, ultimately giving rise to zygospores. The sporangiophore contains both '+' and '−' mating type strains. Meiosis is delayed until the germination of the zygospores. The gametogenia often differ in size, regardless of mating type. This difference in size is not due to sex but presumably due to nutrition.
Black Bread Mold - Rhizopus stolonifer This is an economically important fungus because it causes stored food to decompose. It occurs on over 300 species, most commonly on fruit. In sweet potatoes, it causes Rhizopus soft rot by infecting fresh wounds on the potatoes. Habitat: Sweet potato https://www.jungledragon.com/image/87172/black_bread_mold_-_rhizopus_stolonifer.html https://www.jungledragon.com/image/87174/black_bread_mold_-_rhizopus_stolonifer.html Black Bread Mold,Fall,Geotagged,Rhizopus soft rot,Rhizopus stolonifer,United States,mold

Evolution

This fungus was first discovered by the German scientist Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg in 1818 as ''Rhizopus nigricans''. The name was changed in 1902 to ''Rhizopus stolonifer'' by the French mycologist J. P. Vuillemin.

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Taxonomy
KingdomFungi
DivisionZygomycota
ClassMucoromycetes
OrderMucorales
FamilyMucoraceae
GenusRhizopus
SpeciesR. stolonifer
Photographed in
United States of America