sclerotium Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun form genus of sterile imperfect fungi; many form sclerotia; some cause sclerotium disease in plants
genus Sclerotium.
noun 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

NL., fr. Gr. hard.

plural Sclerotia

(Bot.) A hardened body formed by certain fungi, as by the Claviceps purpurea, which produced ergot.
(Zoöl.) The nature or resting stage of a plasmodium.