Chrysosporium is a genus of hyaline hyphomycetes fungi in the family Onygenaceae. Chrysosporium colonies are moderately fast-growing, flat, white to tan to beige in color; they often have a powdery or granular surface texture. Hyaline, one-celled (ameroconidia) are produced directly on vegetative hyphae by non-specialized conidiogenous cells. Conidia are typically pyriform to clavate with truncate bases (6 to 7 by 3.5 to 4 um) and are formed either intercalary (arthroconidia), laterally (often on pedicels), or terminally. Clinical significance Species of Chrysosporium are occasionally isolated from skin and nail scrapings, especially from feet, but, because they are common soil saprotrophs, they are usually considered as contaminants. There are about 22 species of Chrysosporium, several are keratinophilic with some also being thermotolerant, and cultures may closely resemble some dermatophytes, especially Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and some strains may also resemble cultures of Histoplasma and Blastomyces. Chrysosporium has been identified as an emerging infectious disease, first in Canada affecting reptiles at around 1995. It infected eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus). By 2011, it had affected northern copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen), timber rattlesnakes, black rat snakes, black racer snakes and eastern garter snakes in New Jersey. Species Chrysosporium alboluteolum Chrysosporium alvearium Chrysosporium articulatum Chrysosporium barabicum Chrysosporium botryoides Chrysosporium carmichaelii Chrysosporium chiropterorum Chrysosporium christchurchicum Chrysosporium clavisporum Chrysosporium crassitunicatum Chrysosporium echinulatum Chrysosporium europae Chrysosporium fermentatitritici Chrysosporium filiforme Chrysosporium fluviale Chrysosporium foetidum Chrysosporium georgiae Chrysosporium globiferum Chrysosporium gourii Chrysosporium guizhouense Chrysosporium hirundinis Chrysosporium hispanicum Chrysosporium holmii Chrysosporium hubeiense Chrysosporium inops Chrysosporium jingzhouense Chrysosporium kreiselii Chrysosporium kuzurovianum Chrysosporium leigongshanense Chrysosporium linfenense Chrysosporium lobatum Chrysosporium lucknowense Chrysosporium magnisporum Chrysosporium medium Chrysosporium mephiticum Chrysosporium merdarium Chrysosporium minus Chrysosporium minutisporosum Chrysosporium oceanitis Chrysosporium olivaceum Chrysosporium osteophilum Chrysosporium pannicola Chrysosporium pollaceii Chrysosporium pseudomerdarium Chrysosporium pyriforme Chrysosporium qinghaiense Chrysosporium queenslandicum Chrysosporium sanyaense Chrysosporium sepedonioides Chrysosporium sepedonium Chrysosporium serratum Chrysosporium shanxiense Chrysosporium siglerae Chrysosporium sinense Chrysosporium speluncarum Chrysosporium spinosum Chrysosporium spinulosum Chrysosporium submersum Chrysosporium sulphureum Chrysosporium synchronum Chrysosporium tropicum Chrysosporium tuberculatum Chrysosporium undulatum Chrysosporium vallenarense Chrysosporium zonatum References Animal fungal diseases Mycosis-related cutaneous conditions Deuteromycota Onygenales Taxa described in 1833 Taxa named by August Carl Joseph Corda Eurotiomycetes genera