perithecium

American  

[per-uh-thee-shee-uhm, -shuhm, -see-uhm] / ˌpɛr əˈθi ʃi əm, -ʃəm, -si əm /

noun

Mycology.

plural

perithecia

1. the fruiting body of ascomycetous fungi, typically a minute, more or less completely closed, globose or flask-shaped body enclosing the asci.

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perithecium British  

/ ˌpɛrɪˈθiːsɪəm /

noun

1. botany a flask-shaped structure containing asci that are discharged from an apical pore; a type of ascocarp

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perithecium Scientific  

/ pĕr′ə-thē′shē-əm,-sē-əm /

plural

perithecia

1. A small flask-shaped fruiting body in some ascomycete fungi that encloses the asci (spore sacs).

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Other Word Forms

• perithecial
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of perithecium

From New Latin, dating back to 1825–35; see origin at peri-, thecium

Example Sentences

The hymenium lines the inner walls of the perithecium, and forms a gelatinous nucleus, consisting of asci and paraphyses.

From Fungi: Their Nature and Uses by Cooke, M. C. (Mordecai Cubitt)

The antheridium remains for a long time recognizable without undergoing any essential modification, but the dark colour of the perithecium soon hides it from the observer’s eye.

From Fungi: Their Nature and Uses by Cooke, M. C. (Mordecai Cubitt)

As in the Discomycetes, the hymenium consists of asci, paraphyses, and mucilage, but the whole forms a less compact and more gelatinous mass within the perithecium.

From Fungi: Their Nature and Uses by Cooke, M. C. (Mordecai Cubitt)

The spores are produced on slender threads springing from the inner wall of the perithecium, and, when mature, are expelled from an orifice at the apex.

From Fungi: Their Nature and Uses by Cooke, M. C. (Mordecai Cubitt)

The group 342 is characterized by a special type of ascocarp, the perithecium.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3 "Frost" to "Fyzabad" by Various