Growth temperature of Chaetomium species and its taxonomic value
毛壳属Chaetomium真菌的生长温度特征及其分类学价值

The minimum, optimum and maximum growth temperatures, fatal temperatures as well as the rate of colony growth at optimum temperatures for fifty strains belonging to twenty-five Chaetomium species were compared. The results revealed that each species possessed a stable and specific maximum growth temperature, which can be used for distinguishing Chaetomium species, particularly for the morphologically similar species. The other temperature features showed variation within a single species and obvious overlap between species, which are of little value in taxonomy. The maximum growth temperatures of 42 Chaetomium species were determined. The results provide a valuable physiological criterion for the delimitation of species in the genus.