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1 species
Purpureocillium is a genus of soil moulds in the Ophiocordycipitaceae, named for its purple-tinted spores. Its best-known species, P. lilacinum (formerly Paecilomyces lilacinus), lives in soil and around plant roots and can parasitize nematode eggs, insects and other fungi. It is widely studied and used as a biological control agent against root-knot and cyst nematodes. It is also an occasional cause of human infection, mainly in people with weakened immunity or eye implants.
Colonies white at first, turning vinaceous (purplish) as they sporulate. Conidiophores bear phialides with a swollen base tapering to a thin neck; conidia in divergent chains, ellipsoid to fusiform, smooth to slightly rough. Chlamydospores absent (P. lilacinum).
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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 Entries are compiled from cited sources and reviewed, but may be incomplete or out of date — check the sources, and never rely on this library alone to identify or eat a mushroom.
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