Basidiomycetes (Noun)
Meaning
Large class of higher fungi coextensive with subdivision Basidiomycota.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The basidiomycetes include some of the most familiar fungi, such as mushrooms, toadstools, and bracket fungi.
- The majority of the basidiomycetes are saprotrophic, obtaining their nutrients by decomposing organic matter.
- Some basidiomycetes, such as the rusts and smuts, are parasitic on plants, while others, like the mycorrhizal fungi, form symbiotic relationships with the roots of plants.
- The basidiomycetes are typically characterized by the production of spores on club-shaped structures called basidia.
- The basidiomycetes are a diverse group, with over 30,000 known species, ranging in size, shape, and color.