noun. A hard, dormant, multicellular structure found in certain fungi and slime molds.

noun. In botany:

noun. A pluricellular tuber-like reservoir of reserve material forming on a primary filamentous mycelium, from which it becomes detached when its development is complete.

noun. [capitalized] An old genus of fungi, comprising hard, black, compact bodies which are now known to be a resting-stage of the mycelium of certain other fungi, such as Peziza tuberosa. See ergot, 2.

noun. In zoology, one of the peculiar quiescent cysts or hypnocysts of Mycetozoa, not giving rise to spores.

noun. A hardened body formed by certain fungi, as by the Claviceps purpurea, which produces ergot.

noun. The mature or resting stage of a plasmodium.

noun. A compact mass of hardened mycelium stored with reserve food material that, in some higher fungi such as ergot, becomes detached and remains dormant until a favourable opportunity for growth occurs.

noun. compact usually dark-colored mass of hardened mycelium constituting a vegetative food-storage body in various true fungi; detaches when mature and can give rise to new growth

noun. form genus of sterile imperfect fungi; many form sclerotia; some cause sclerotium disease in plants

"When slime molds experience very harsh conditions such as extremely cold or dry weather, they may harden into a sclerotium that can live for several years and then return to a plasmodium when conditions are favorable"

sclerotial  

fungus genus  mycelium  

sclerotia