''Dendrochytridium'' is a fungal

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

in the order

Chytridiales Fungi of the order Chytridiales, like other members of its division, may either have a monocentric thallus or a polycentric rhizomycelium. When the ribosomal genes of members classified in this order were first examined using molecular techniq ...

. The genus is

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

, containing the single

saprobic Saprotrophic nutrition or lysotrophic nutrition is a process of chemoheterotrophic extracellular digestion involved in the processing of decayed (dead or waste) organic matter. It occurs in saprotrophs, and is most often associated with fungi ...

species ''Dendrochytridium crassum'', isolated from detritus collected from an Australian tree

canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an a ...

. Both the genus and species were described as new to science in 2013.

Phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics () is the study of the evolutionary history of life using observable characteristics of organisms (or genes), which is known as phylogenetic inference. It infers the relationship among organisms based on empirical dat ...

ally, ''Dendrochytridium crassum'' groups together in a

clade In biology, a clade (), also known as a Monophyly, monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that is composed of a common ancestor and all of its descendants. Clades are the fundamental unit of cladistics, a modern approach t ...

with other fungi possessing Group II-type

zoospore A zoospore is a motile asexual spore that uses a flagellum for locomotion in aqueous or moist environments. Also called a swarm spore, these spores are created by some protists, bacteria, and fungi to propagate themselves. Certain zoospores are ...

s. These fungi, which include representatives from the genera ''

Chytridium ''Chytridium'' is a genus of fungi in the family Chytridiaceae. With the culture and characterization of Chytridium olla, the type species of the order, the limits of the Chytridiales were established. ; Names brought to synonymy: * ''Chytridi ...

'', '' Phlyctochytrium'', ''

Chytriomyces ''Chytriomyces'' is the type genus of fungi in the family Chytriomycetaceae. The genus was described by mycologist John Sidney Karling in 1945. The family, created by Peter Letcher in 2011, contains species with a Group I-type zoospore, distingu ...

'', and '' Polyphlyctis'' are

classified Classified may refer to: General *Classified information, material that a government body deems to be sensitive *Classified advertising or "classifieds" Music *Classified (rapper) (born 1977), Canadian rapper * The Classified, a 1980s American ro ...

in the family

Chytridiaceae The Chytridiaceae are a family (biology), family of fungi in the order Chytridiales. The family contains 33 genera and 238 species according to a 2008 estimate. Genera *''Chytridium'' *''Cylindrochytrium'' *''Dangeardia'' *''Dangeardiana'' *'' ...

. The generic name combines ''dendro'' (derived from Greek, meaning "tree"),For more information on

Botanical Latin Botanical Latin is a technical language based on Neo-Latin, used for descriptions of botanical taxa. From 1935 to 2011, the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature mandated Botanical Latin to be used for the descriptions of new taxa (other tha ...

and the formation of names, including the Greek word for "tree", please see Liddell, H.G. & Scott, R. (1940). ''A Greek-English Lexicon revised and augmented throughout by Sir Henry Stuart Jones with the assistance of. Roderick McKenzie.'' Oxford: Clarendon Press or Stearn, W.T. (1983). ''Botanical Latin. History, grammar, syntax, terminology and vocabulary.'' (3rd edition). Newton Abbot London: David Charles. which refers to the origin of the first collection, and ''

'', the

type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * ...

genus of the order Chytridiales. The

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

''crassum'' is

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

for "broad", and refers to the broad

rhizoid Rhizoids are protuberances that extend from the lower epidermal cells of bryophytes and algae. They are similar in structure and function to the root hairs of vascular land plants. Similar structures are formed by some fungi. Rhizoids may be un ...

References

External links

* Chytridiomycota genera Monotypic fungus genera {{Chytridiomycota-stub