Mortierella is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of fungi in the Mortierellaceae

Mortierellaceae

The Mortierellaceae are a family of fungi in the order Mortierellales. The Dictionary of the Fungi says that the family contains 6 genera and 93 species. A new genus, Echinochlamydosporium, was described in 2011....

 family of the Zygomycota

Zygomycota

Zygomycota, or zygote fungi, is a phylum of fungi. The name comes from zygosporangia, where resistant spherical spores are formed during sexual reproduction. Approximately 1060 species are known. They are mostly terrestrial in habitat, living in soil or on decaying plant or animal material...

. The widespread genus contains about 85 species.

Reproduction

Small sporangia, (perhaps sporangiola), in which columella

Columella

Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella is the most important writer on agriculture of the Roman empire. Little is known of his life. He was probably born in Gades , possibly of Roman parents. After a career in the army , he took up farming...

 are absent, instead being borne on awl-shaped sporangiospores. Chlamydospore

Chlamydospore

A Chlamydospore is the thick-walled big resting spore of several kinds of fungi. It is the life-stage which survives in unfavourable conditions, such as dry or hot seasons....

s are often present as well. Zygospore

Zygospore

A zygospore is a diploid reproductive stage in the life cycle of many fungi and protists. Zygospores are created by the nuclear fusion of haploid cells. In fungi, zygospores are termed chlamydospores and are formed after the fusion of hyphae of different mating types...

s are, when present, distinctively shaped with a smooth or dimpled texture, with a hyaline

Hyaline

The term hyaline denotes a substance with a glass-like appearance.-Histopathology:In histopathological medical usage, a hyaline substance appears glassy and pink after being stained with haematoxylin and eosin — usually it is an acellular, proteinaceous material...

, or clear, nature. Species in the family are commonly found as psychrophilic, or "cold-loving" soil saprobes.