Chaetomium brasiliensis Batista & Pontual; Nutritional Requirements for Growth and Fruiting

Chaetomium brasiliensis requires aneurin for growth, and calcium (strontium or barium), aneurin and a low nutrient level for the formation of ascospores. Decreasing suboptimal doses of calcium progressively decrease the number of fertile perithecia until none is formed, the average perithecial size is reduced, but not the total number of perithecia. Above the optimum level, calcium delays formation of perithecia and ascospores and, ultimately, spore germination; it has no favourable effect on vegetative growth. The fungus appears able to synthesize aneurin slowly after growth is complete.