Ascus dehiscence
ascus dehiscence (noun,ascus term, pl. ascus dehiscences; synonym: dehiscence) – the process of opening and releasing ascospores from a mature ascus by rupture of the ascus wall, typically, but not always occurring at the ascus apex, sometimes explosive or actively ejecting spores, sometimes by gradual disintegration of the wall and subsequent release of spores; different modes of dehiscence have been distinguished: (1) evanescence (prototunicate: disintegration of the entire ascus wall; verrucaroid: disintegration of the apical ascus wall); (2) lateral rupture, i. e., tip sliding off like a hood, e. g., in Corneliales, or in Arthrorhaphis); (3) subapical rupture, i. e., opening with a lid (operculate, suboperculate, and pseudoperculate); (4) apical rupture: (4a) formation of a simple pore with no elongation (inoperculate: annular, ostropalean or hypodermataceous); (4b) formation of a complex pore with predehiscent elongation (extenditunicate: bivalve or fissurate dehiscence); (4c) apical rupture with extrusion: semi-fissitunicate (rostrate and eversion-type; present in most lecanoralean asci) or fissitunicate (bitunicate, "jack in the box"). Related terms: dehiscent, non-dehiscent, ascus pore, ascospore discharge. See: Category:Ascus dehiscence type.
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