Taxonomical Study On The Chaetomium Kunze From Some Provinces (Regions) In China

Chaetomium Kunze is the largest genus of Chaetomiaceae G. Winter. Some the species are best known as cellulolytic. They are world-wide in distribution. Since it was introduced by Kunze in 1817, more than 300 species have been described. Only a number have been reduced to synonymy or have been transferred to other genera. von Arx et al.(1986) accepted 91 species.In the past two years, 1098 substrates from Xinjiang, Shandong, Jiangsu, Beijing, Yunnan, Hainan, Hubei, Qinghai Province, Gansu, Hebei and Henan were collected, including soil, dung, plant debris, paper, cloth, wool. 14 species described, including 1 new records species: Chaetomium madrasense.This work is mainly based on the work of von Arx et al. (1986) and preliminarily supports the taxonomic system of the genus Chaetomium proposed by von Arx et al. (1986). In this systerm, most species have been well-delimited and are more natural than those in the older systems of the sme genus. On the basis of morphological characters, studied all the isolates.The characteristics of ascospore, such as size, shape, summertry, structure, pigmentation,, position and number of germ pores are the most important classified criteria of species. The structure of the wall of the ascomata in surface view ( textura intricate, epidermoidea or angularis) and size, shape of ascomata and ascus are useful to identify species. The structures of anamorph produced a few species are notably diffential, the morphology of anamorph should consider as one of the criteria. Growth rate, pigmentation and exudates of colonies are with some extend value for delimitation species. The morphological structure of ascomatal hairs is variable, and there are several structures which are distinctly different in a same spiece. More attention should be paid to the distinct structure of the ascomatal hairs.