PeronosporalesObligate parasites of dicotyledons (very rarely monocotyledons). Thallus mycelial and intercellular with haustoria; zoosporogenesis, when present, by internal cleavage, otherwise asexual reproduction by deciduous conidiosporangia; conidiosporangiophores well-differentiated, persistent; oogonia thin-walled, oospore single, aplerotic with a well-defined exospore wall layer derived from persistent periplasm. Possibility that all are dependent on exogenous sources of sterols. Peronosporaceae: Myceliar fungi with large, lobate haustoria. Asexual reproduction by deciduous
PythialesParasites or saprotrophs; parasites mostly in axenic culture. Some members parasitic on fungi and some on animals. Thallus mycelial with little evidence of cytoplasmic streaming; zoosporangium formation terminal, less frequently sequential, then percurrent or by internal or sympodial proliferation; sporangiophores rarely differentiated; oogonial periplasm minimal and not persistent; oospore usually single, plerotic or aplerotic. Evidence of partial dependence on exogenous sterol precursors. Pythiaceae: Thallus mycelial or monocentric and pseudomycelial; hyphae diameter;conidiosporangia or conidia borne on conidiosporangiophores; conidiosporangia pedicellate; conidiosporangiophores dichotomously branched, monopodially branched, or unbranched and clavate; conidiogenesis simultaneous; zoosporogenesis, when present, internal within a plasmamembranic membrane, zoospore release by operculate or poroid discharge. deciduous sporangia, conidiosporangia or conidia borne on unbranched conidiophores. Conidiogenesis sequential and percurrent. Zoosporogenesis internal with papillate discharge.
Albuginaceae:Myceliar fungi with small, spherical or peg-like haustoria. Asexual reproduction by Genus: Albugo.zoosporogenesis either by internal cleavage without vesicular discharge or with a plasmamembranic vesicle or by external cleavage in a homohylic vesicle; oogonia (with very few exceptions) thin-walled; oospores never strictly plerotic. Aerobic metabolism. Freshwater or marine.