Systematic position
Kingdom: Straminopila
Phylum: Oomycota
Class: Oomycetes
Order: Pythiales
Family: Pythiaceae
Genus: Phytophthora
Occurrence:
Phytophthora, includes about 75 species. Species of phytophthora generally lives as parasites on higher plants and can grow on artificial media. Some of the species lives as saprophytes in the soil, but may develops as parasites in the presence of suitable host facultative parasites.
Morphology
The vegetative body of the Phytophthora is the mycelium which consists of irregularly branched, aseptate, coenocytic hyphae.
However, the septa are formed in the older parts of the mycelium and at the time of the formation of the reproductive structures. The mycelium develops intercellularly forming short simple or branched outgrowths, the haustoria, by means of which it absorbs the nourishment from the host cells.
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| Intercellular mycelium of Phytophthora |
