Phycomycetes (Noun)
Meaning
A large and probably unnatural group of fungi and funguslike organisms comprising the Mastigomycota (including the Oomycetes) and Zygomycota subdivisions of the division Eumycota; a category not used in all systems.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- These organisms were traditionally classified as Phycomycetes because of their primarily unicellular nature and lack of true mycelial elements.
- A large and diverse group such as phycomycetes pose certain limitations and challenges to fungal systematics and nomenclature.
- The class Phycomycetes includes the water molds and downy mildews, as well as other heterotrophic organisms.
- Fungal classification is generally straightforward except for the Phycomycetes where nomenclature is not universally agreed.
- Due to the need for polyphyletic lineage separation it's becoming increasingly uncommon for fungal scientists to use the term phycomycetes anymore.