Cladosporium

Cladosporium is a genus of fungi including some of the most common indoor and outdoor molds. Some species are endophytes or plant pathogens, while others parasitize fungi. Species produce olive-green to brown or black colonies, and have dark-pigmented conidia that are formed in simple or branching chains. Many species of Cladosporium are commonly found on living and dead plant material, including Sunflowers. The spores are wind-dispersed and they are often extremely abundant in outdoor air. Indoors Cladosporium species may grow on surfaces when moisture is present. Cladosporium fulvum, cause of tomato leaf mould, has been an important genetic model, in that the genetics of host resistance are understood. In the 1960s, it was estimated that the genus Cladosporium contained around 500 plant-pathogenic and saprotrophic species, but this number has since been increased to over 772 species. The genus is very closely related to black yeasts in the order Dothideales. Cladosporium species are ......read more on Wikipedia.