Sordaria fimicola is often used in introductory biology and mycology labs because it is easy to grow on nutrient agar in dish cultures.

The genus Sordaria, closely related to Neurospora and Podospora, is a member of the large class Sordariomycetes, or flask-fungi.

The natural habitat of the three species of Sordaria that have been the principal subjects in genetic studies is dung of herbivorous animals.

The species of Sordaria are similar morphologically, producing black perithecia containing asci with eight dark ascospores in a linear arrangement.

[3] Morphological features that characterize the Sordariaceae include the differentiation of the hyphal envelope that surrounds the ascogonium into peripheral wall layers and a pseudoparenchymatous centrum.

[4] S. fimicola differs from other species of Sordariaceae studied in the aggregation of the ascogenous cells to form a placenta‐like mass in the base of the centrum.

[4] Sordaria fimicola is an ascomycete fungus that grows well on nutrient agar, dung, and in decaying matter in soil.

Following meiosis on dung, ascospores are discharged and stick onto plant surfaces where they are thought to remain epiphyllous.

[5][6] S. fimicola grows septate hyphae which at the macro level look like small dark brown fibers forming a fluffy sheet over the substrate.

[7] In sterilized and unsterilized soil, S. fimicola promoted host growth and prevented mortality.

Research shows that S. fimicola in potato dextrose cultures is capable of producing triacontanol and indole-3-carboxaldehyde, both of which have antibacterial properties that may help prevent host disease.

[8] S. fimicola has also been shown to inhibit the growth of other species of fungi which are pathogenic to plants including Pestalotiopsis guepinii, Colletotrichum capsici, Curvularia lunata [Cochliobolus lunatus], Alternaria alternata and Fusarium oxysporum.

Since then many studies on the gene conversion phenomenon were carried out with S. fimicola and other organisms, particularly other ascomycetes [see review by Whitehouse[12] (1982)].