cystidium
Sign in to savethumb|Two chrysocystidia on gill face of Hypholoma lateritium, mounted in KOH. A cystidium (: cystidia) is a relatively large cell found on the sporocarp of a basidiomycete (for example, on the surface of a mushroom gill), often between clusters of basidia. Since cystidia have highly varied and distinct shapes that are often unique to a particular species or genus, they are a useful micromorphological characteristic in the identification of basidiomycetes. In general, the adaptive significance of cystidia is not well understood.
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- Classification
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thumb|Two chrysocystidia on gill face of Hypholoma lateritium, mounted in KOH. A cystidium (: cystidia) is a relatively large cell found on the sporocarp of a basidiomycete (for example, on the surface of a mushroom gill), often between clusters of basidia. Since cystidia have highly varied and distinct shapes that are often unique to a particular species or genus, they are a useful micromorphological characteristic in the identification of basidiomycetes. In general, the adaptive significance of cystidia is not well understood.
==Classification== thumb|200px|right|Metuloid-type cystidium of Inocybe, stained with [[Congo red]]