Moulds that should be better known: the wine cellar mould, Racodium cellare Persoon

Walls of rooms with an atmosphere enriched in ethanol often show thick coatings with mycelium of Racodium cellare. Wine cellars and distilleries in which alcoholic beverages are stored in barrels seem to be the main habitat of this mould which is credited with beneficial effects on the cellar atmosphere by removing malodorous volatile substances. The present article examines the taxonomy and biology of this remarkable fungus.