Sclerotium

1 form genus of sterile imperfect fungi; many form sclerotia; some cause sclerotium disease in plants [syn: genus Sclerotium]

2 compact usually dark-colored mass of hardened mycelium constituting a vegetative food-storage body in various true fungi; detaches when mature and can give rise to new growth

A sclerotium (plural sclerotia) is a compact mass of hardened mycelium stored with reserve food material that, in some higher fungi such as ergot, becomes detached and remains dormant until a favorable opportunity for growth occurs. Other fungi that produce sclerotia are prominent pathogens for Canola crops. This and related fungi are generally controlled through the use of fungicides and crop rotation.

'Sclerotium' is also the name of a genus of fungi which includes Sclerotium rolfsii, the causal organism of Southern Blight.