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Trichophyton

Characterized by colourless spores (conidia) that are nearly sessile and usually produced at right angles to the fertile filament, or as terminal swellings. Most conidia are 1- or 2-celled (micro-conidia) but at least a few are more than 2-celled (macroconidia). Similar to Chrysosporium. Usually occurring as a skin parasite on humans and other animals but occasionally isolated from soil, leather, feathers, etc. The picture at near-right shows hyphae of T. rubrum growing within a flake of dead skin scraped from an infected patient. The picture at far-right shows conidia as they are seen in pure culture.

Classification: Arthrodermataceae (Onygenales). Holomorph: Arthroderma. Ref: Ajello, 1968; Ajello, Georg, Kaplan, and Kaufman 1963; Beneke 1958; Rebell and Taplin 1970


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