Phialemonium obovatum

Phialemonium obovatum is a saprotrophic filamentous fungus able to cause opportunistic infections in humans with weakened immune systems. P. obovatum is widespread throughout the environment, occurring commonly in sewage, soil, air and water. Walter Gams and Michael McGinnis described the genus Phialemonium to accommodate species intermediate between the genera Acremonium and Phialophora. Currently, three species of Phialemonium are recognized of which P. obovatum is the only one to produce greenish colonies and obovate conidia. It has been investigated as one of several microfungi with potential use in the accelerated aging of wine.