Classification of Basidiomycetes
Traditional Classification of Basidiomycetes
Basidiomycetes are classified into two subclasses based on the septation/partition of the basidium
Heterobasidiomycetes
- Also known as holobasidiomycetes.
- Have fragmented basidium.
- They are obligate parasites and can cause severe diseases in many crops.
- Includes true mushrooms.
- Includes three orders:
- Tremellales
- Uredinales
- Ustilaginales
Homobasidiomycetes
- Do not have fragmented basidia.
- They are grown in numerous habitats such as grassland, dung, termite mounds, and wooden logs.
- Includes rust and smut fungi.
- Includes two series: Hymenomycetes and Gastromycetes.
- Hymenomycetes
- The hymenium is exposed.
- It Includes 3 orders- Exobasidiales, Polyporales, and Agaricales.
- Gastromycetes
- The hymenium is enclosed.
- It Includes 5 orders- Hymenogastrales, Lycoperdales, Sclerodermatales, Phallales, and Nidulariales.
Recent Classification of Basidiomycetes
It is classified into 3 subclasses and 2 other class-level taxa-
Pucciniomycotina– includes rust fungi, the insect parasitic genus Septobasidium, a former group of smut fungi, and a mixture of different, infrequent seen recognized fungi. Includes 8 classes:
- Agaricostilbomycetes
- Atractiellomycetes
- Classiculomycetes
- Cryptomycocolacomycetes
- Crystobasidiomycetes
- Microbotryomycetes
- Mixiomycetes
- Pucciniomycetes
Ustilaginomycotina– most of them are former smut fungi and the Exobasidiales. Includes 3 classes:
- Exobasidiomycetes
- Entorrhizomycetes
- Ustilaginomycetes
Agaricomycotina– also known as Hymenomycetes comprises most fungi such as mushrooms, bracket fungi, and puffballs. Includes 3 classes:
- Agaricomycetes
- Dacrymycetes
- Tremellomycetes
2 Class-level taxa
- Wallemiomycetes- sister group of Agaricomycotina according to the genomic evidence.
- Entorrhizomycetes– possibly a close sister group to the rest of Basidiomycetes classes.
Basidiomycetes
Biological classification can be defined as a method used to categorize and group living organisms based on their characteristics and functions. And this is also known as taxonomy. R.H. Whittaker divided living organisms into 5 kingdoms based on their cellular structure, complexity, reproduction, mode of nutrition, and phylogenetic relationships. The five kingdoms are Monera, Protista, Fungi, Animalia, and Plantae.
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