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Fusarium
Forms fluffy colonies of grayish white to deep red colors. It appears as molds on mushrooms, etc., in some cases but rarely proliferates on processed foods found in the market. This fungus is known as a plant pathogenic microbe parasitizing various plants such as wheat in farms and other places. In Japan, fusarium toxicosis cases have repeatedly been caused by consumption of wheat infected by Fusarium. It is distributed in soil, plants such as wheat, dirty water, etc., and some strains produce a highly irritating mycotoxin called torichothecene toxin.
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Representative strains: Fusarium oxysporum (F.oxysporum) Fusarium solani (F.solani) Fusarium graminearum (F.graminearum) |
 Mold of a genus fusarium gathering on pumpkin |
 Photomicrograph of a genus fusarium |