Pithomyces chartarum is a fungus predominantly found in subtropical countries and other localities with warmer climates.
[2] Pithomyces chartarum produces a mycotoxin called sporidesmin when it grows on plants, particularly grasses.
[1] Canadian mycologist Stanley Hughes examined specimens of both taxa in 1958 and concluded that they represented the same taxon which he contemplated assigning them to the genus Scheleobrachea.
[1] The spores that are germinating produce hyaline superficial hyphae which can easily penetrate plant cell walls.
[4] Pithomyces chartarum is known to cause facial eczema in sheep and cattle,[4] prevalent in New Zealand and occasionally in Australia.
[2] Due to the growth required for the spores, we normally see cases occur after warm rains in fall or in summer.
[8] The effects on human health are not well understood but it is thought that P. chartarum could also be involved in glue blotch disease of rice.