Skip to main content
Pin Molds, Mucor
2 species
A genus of fast-growing pin molds (Mucoraceae, Mucorales) with about 50 recognized taxa, common in soil, dung, plants and moist foods. Erect sporangiophores carry round sporangia that darken with age. Unlike Rhizopus, Mucor lacks stolons and rhizoids. With Rhizopus, it is behind most "black pin mold" contamination in mushroom cultivation, outrunning mushroom mycelium on wet grain and agar.
Mycelium: fast, fluffy, white to gray, aseptate (coenocytic), branching at wide angles; looks like cat hair. Sporangiophores: erect, simple or branched, without stolons or rhizoids; sporangia globose, gray-brown to black, with a columella. Some species form chlamydospores. Many common species do not grow above roughly 30-37 C (M. hiemalis about 30 C, M. racemosus about 32 C).
Never eat a wild mushroom based on a web page — confirm with an expert.
Mycology is an evolving science: names, classifications and safety information change as research advances. Entries are compiled from cited sources and reviewed, but may be incomplete or out of date — check the sources, and never rely on this library alone to identify or eat a mushroom.
Join WeMush to browse species, discover strains, and start your cultivation journey.
Join WeMush