Germ pore

A germ pore is a small pore in the outer wall of a fungal spore through which the germ tube exits upon germination.

It can be apical or eccentric in its location, and, on light microscopy, may be visualized as a lighter coloured area on the cell wall.

Some spores have a hole in the cell wall where the first strand of germinating mycelium emerges.

If the cell wall is divided from one end to the other, this is called a germ slit.

Mushroom genera with apical germ pores include Agrocybe, Panaeolus, Psilocybe, and Pholiota.