Teliospore is the thick-walled resting spore

Spore

In biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many bacteria, plants, algae, fungi and some protozoa. According to scientist Dr...

 of some fungi (rusts

Rust (fungus)

Rusts are plant diseases caused by pathogenic fungi of the order Pucciniales. About 7800 species are known. Rusts can affect a variety of plants; leaves, stems, fruits and seeds. Rust is most commonly seen as coloured powder, composed off tiny aeciospores which land on vegetation producing...

 and smuts

Smut (fungus)

The smuts are multicellular fungi, that are characterized by their large numbers of teliospores. The smuts get their name from a Germanic word for dirt because of their dark, thick-walled and dust-like teliospores. They are mostly Ustilaginomycetes and can cause plant disease...

), from which the basidium

Basidium

thumb|right|500px|Schematic showing a basidiomycete mushroom, gill structure, and spore-bearing basidia on the gill margins.A basidium is a microscopic, spore-producing structure found on the hymenophore of fruiting bodies of basidiomycete fungi. The presence of basidia is one of the main...

 arises.

Development

They develop in telia

Telia

Telia may refer to:*Telia - part of the reproductive cycle of Rusts*Telia Digital-tv - a Swedish TV platform*Telia, Nepal - a village in Nepal*TeliaSonera - a Swedish/Finnish telecom operator*Telia Challenge Waxholm - Golf tournament...

(sing. telium, or teliosoruses).

The telial host is the primary host in heteroecious rusts. The aecial host is the alternate host (look for pycnidia

Pycnidium

A pycnidium is an asexual fruiting body produced by mitosporic fungi in the form order Sphaeropsidales . It is often spherical or inversely pearshaped and its internal cavity is lined with conidiophores. When ripe, an opening generally appears at the top, through which the pycnidiospores escape....

 and aecia

Aecium

Aecium is a specialised reproductive structure found in some rusts and smuts which produces aeciospores. In some literature Aecia are also referred to as "cluster cups"....

).
These terms apply when two hosts are required by heteroecious rust fungus to complete their life cycle.

Morphology

Teliospores are usually dark-coloured, and consist of two dikaryote

Dikaryon

Dikaryon is from Greek, di meaning 2 and karyon meaning nut, referring to the cell nucleus.The dikaryon is a nuclear feature which is unique to some fungi, in which after plasmogamy the two compatible nuclei of two cells pair off and cohabit without karyogamy within the cells of the hyphae,...

 cells. As the spores germinate, the nuclei

Cell nucleus

In cell biology, the nucleus is a membrane-enclosed organelle found in eukaryotic cells. It contains most of the cell's genetic material, organized as multiple long linear DNA molecules in complex with a large variety of proteins, such as histones, to form chromosomes. The genes within these...

 undergo karyogamy

Karyogamy

Karyogamy is the fusion of pronuclei of two cells, as part of syngamy, fertilization, or true bacterial conjugation.It is one of the two major modes of reproduction in fungi...

 and thereafter meiosis

Meiosis

Meiosis is a special type of cell division necessary for sexual reproduction. The cells produced by meiosis are gametes or spores. The animals' gametes are called sperm and egg cells....

, giving rise to four-celled basidia with haploid basidiospore

Basidiospore

A basidiospore is a reproductive spore produced by Basidiomycete fungi. Basidiospores typically each contain one haploid nucleus that is the product of meiosis, and they are produced by specialized fungal cells called basidia. In grills under a cap of one common species in the phylum of...

s.

They also have a thick-capped telia as compared to urediniospore

Urediniospore

Urediniospores are the thinner-walled spores of some fungi: , from which the basidium arises.-Morphology:*Urediniospores are usually consist of two dikaryote nuclei within one constricted cell resembling the number 8 without a septation...

s.

See also

• 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....
  
  
• Urediniomycetes
• Urediniospore
  Urediniospore
  Urediniospores are the thinner-walled spores of some fungi: , from which the basidium arises.-Morphology:*Urediniospores are usually consist of two dikaryote nuclei within one constricted cell resembling the number 8 without a septation...
  
  
• Ustilaginomycetes
  Ustilaginomycetes
  Ustilaginomycetes is the class of true smut fungi. They are plant parasites with about 1400 recognised species in 70 genera....