basidiomycete

ba·sid·i·o·my·cete  (b-sd--mst, -m-st)

n.

Any of various members of a large group of fungi bearing sexually produced spores on a basidium. The group includes puffballs, shelf fungi, rusts, smuts, and mushrooms.

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[basidi(um) + -mycete.]

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ba·sidi·o·my·cetous (-m-sts) adj.

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basidiomycete  (b-sd--mst)

Any of various fungi belonging to the phylum Basidomycota, bearing sexually produced spores on a basidium. All hyphae of basidiomycetes are divided into segments by septa and go through three stages of development. In the final stage, each segment has two nuclei, and the hyphae grow to produce basidia and disperse basidiospores. The basidiomycetes are the most familiar forms of fungi and include mushrooms, puffballs, shelf fungi, rusts, and smuts.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

basidiomycete - any of various fungi of the subdivision Basidiomycota basidiomycetous fungi basidiocarp - the fruiting body of a basidiomycete which bears its spores on special cells fungus - an organism of the kingdom Fungi lacking chlorophyll and feeding on organic matter; ranging from unicellular or multicellular organisms to spore-bearing syncytia Basidiomycetes, class Basidiomycetes - large class of higher fungi coextensive with subdivision Basidiomycota mushroom - any of various fleshy fungi of the subdivision Basidiomycota consisting of a cap at the end of a stem arising from an underground mycelium agaric - a saprophytic fungus of the order Agaricales having an umbrellalike cap with gills on the underside gill fungus - a basidiomycete with gills polypore, pore fungus, pore mushroom - woody pore fungi; any fungus of the family Polyporaceae or family Boletaceae having the spore-bearing surface within tubes or pores; the fruiting bodies are usually woody at maturity and persistent