#basidiomycetes

[wikipediapictures]

Gliophorus psittacinus

[fungus-friday]

We interrupt the usual rhythm of Fungus Friday to give you a little lesson on the classification of fungi! 

‘Higher fungi’ like mushrooms, yeasts, lichens, and molds are part of the dikarya, a subkingdom of the fungal kingdom that is split into two phyla (taxonomic ranks between kingdom and class); Basidiomycota, and Ascomycota. Higher fungi are categorised into one of these two groups based primarily on their spore type.  

Members of Basidiomycota are called basidiomycetes. Basidiomycetes are fungi composed of hyphae (branching, thread-like filaments that constitute the main vegetative growth form of fungi, known as mycelium) and reproduce sexually via club-shaped end cells called basidia that usually bear external meiospores called basidiospores. Some basidiomycetes, however, reproduce asexually, but are still classified as members of the division due to similarity to others. Common basidiomycetes include agarics, puffballs, stinkhorns, smuts, rusts, polypores (shelf and bracket fungi), and some yeasts. 

(image from Ernst Haeckel's 1904 Kunstformen der Natur) 

Members of Ascomycota are called ascomycetes, or sac fungi. Ascomycota is the largest phylum of fungi, with over 64,000 species. Ascomycetes can reproduce sexually with elongated cells or sacs known as asci (plural of ascus), which produce microscopic spores called ascospores, and asexually with vegetative reproductive spores called conidiospores. Common ascomycetes include yeasts, morels, truffles, molds, mildews, cup fungi, and lichens. 

(selection of anamorphs (asexual reproductive stages) of ascomycetes. (a) Basipetospora variabilis; (b) Scopulariopsis brevicaulis; (c) Harziella (Lepisticola) capitata; (d) Tyrannosorus pinicola; (e) Haplotrichum chilense; (f) Junewangia globulosa)

This information is a very brief overview on the phyla of higher fungi! There is so much more information about both types of fungi, and I haven’t even touched on non-dikarya fungi... I just wanted to give a little lesson about classifications so people will know what I’m talking about when I mention basidiomycetes or ascomycetes. Next Friday will be a regular post:-)

[coffeenuts]

[botanicalmycelium]

Purple Brittlegill (Russula atropurpurea) is known for their wine colored caps, and have a smell of crisp apples. They're usually found around deciduous trees, this one being found near a few oaks!

Part of the phylum Basidiomycete and order Agaricales, the spores are produced and stored in the gilled section pictured above. Gilled fungi are known as the agarics, some fan favorites (your psilocybes - aka the psychadelic guys!) are apart of this order!

Fun fact - Gills are compacted hyphae used to support the basidia (structures in basidiomycetes that produce the spores)!

[rattyexplores]

Penis.

Phallus indusiatus

24/04/21

[fungusqueen]

Hello everyone! I started an mushroom-themed online shop here. I’m starting by selling sticker packs but I’m working on a few other other mushroom surprises that will be available in 2020! Just wanted to do a quick tumblr announcement for anyone who might be interested in mushroom stickers

[nature-and-biodiversity-blog]

Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria

[lespenseesdepandee]

KAAMELOTT - LIVRE I : “Basidiomycètes”

Mon Dieu, Perceval et Karadoc sont énormes ! >-<