Alternaria tenuissima
species of fungus
Alternaria tenuissima is a saprophytic fungus and opportunistic plant pathogen. It is cosmopolitan in distribution, and can colonize a wide range of plant hosts. Colonies of A. tenuissima produce chains on agar growth media. The fungus often forms concentric ring patterns on infected plant leaves. This species produces the allergen Alt a 1, one of the most important outdoor seasonal fungal allergens associated with allergy and asthma provocation. In rare circumstances, this species is also known to infect immunosuppressed humans and animals.
Growth and morphology
Unlike many other species of Alternaria, the conidiophores of A. tenuissima can develop in darkness after the colony has been exposed to light even very briefly; however its growth is more robust with longer periods of light exposure. After 5–7 days in culture, colonies of A. tenuissima reach a diameter of 5 cm on PCA or V-8 agar (vegetable juice agar). Colonies grown on PCA are brown in colour with a loose, cottony texture and bearing golden-brown conidia in chains. Conidia are on the areas of the colony that receive the most light exposure, forming concentric sporulating rings of uncrowded conidial chains growing from branching hyphae on PCA. Sporulation tends to be much more crowded in colonies grown on V-8 agar.
“Alternaria tenuissima” enters the record as species of fungus. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Alternaria, tenuissima and species can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Alternaria tenuissima” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Alternaria, tenuissima and species provides the most credible route into that argument.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jan 4, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q4736374. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Alternaria tenuissima”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Alternaria tenuissima primary sources, Alternaria tenuissima archive and Alternaria research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Alternaria tenuissima”?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Alternaria tenuissima” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.