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Penicillium verrucosum
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<p><i>Penicillium verrucosum</i> is a <a href="/facts/Psychrophile/8fESUsxP">psychrophilic</a> fungus which was discovered in Belgium and introduced by Dierckx in 1901. Six varieties of this species have been recognized based primarily on differences in colony colour: <i>P. verrucosum var. album</i>, <i>P. verrucosum var. corymbiferum</i>, <i>P. verrucosum var. cyclopium</i>, <i>P. verrucosum var. ochraceum</i>, <i>P. verrucosum var. melanochlorum</i> and <i>P. verrucosum var. verrucosum</i>. This fungus has important implications in food, specifically for grains and other cereal crops on which it grows. Its growth is carefully regulated in order to reduce food spoilage by this fungi and its toxic products. The genome of <i>P. verrucosum</i> has been sequenced and the gene clusters for the biosyntheses of its <a href="/facts/Mycotoxin/11dL2teq">mycotoxins</a> have been identified. </p>