Tag Archives: Basidiomycetes

The fungi comprising the phylum Basidiomycota commonly are known as basidiomycetes. It is a large phylum that includes forms commonly known as mushrooms, boletes, puffballs, earthstars, stinkhorns, birds-nest fungi, jelly fungi, bracket or shelf fungi, and rust and smut fungi. Salient features Habit and habitat Both parasite and saprophytic. Some …

Biologists use the term ‘fungus’ to include eukaryotic, spore-bearing, achlorophyllous organisms that generally reproduce sexually and asexually. They are usually made up of filamentous, branched somatic structures which are typically surrounded by cell walls containing chitin or cellulose, or both of these substances. The fungi originated as a distinctive group …