Pompon conidial heads of Aspergillus niger

Left:   Macro view of the fungus fruiting  on agar ion a Petri Plate.  The conidia of A. niger are not black but very dark brown.  By reflected light, to the unaided eye, colonies will appear  almost black.  For microscopic view of a pompon head of ans Aspergillus click here.

Right:  The SEM shows the compact phialides arising from the vesicle to give the spherical head.  The tiny conidia (= spores, phialospores) are produced in long chains from the mouth of the phialide (= conidiogenous cell, sporogenous cell).