noun
- plural of sclerotium; hard, compact masses of fungal tissue that can survive adverse conditions and later produce new fungal growth
Usage: biology; mycology
Examples
- The sclerotia remained dormant in the soil throughout the winter.
- Scientists found numerous sclerotia in the infected plant tissue.
- These fungal sclerotia can survive for months without water.
- The researcher collected sclerotia from various mushroom species.
- Sclerotia serve as survival structures for many fungi.
- The black sclerotia were easily visible against the white substrate.