Question

Which pair belongs to Basidiomycetes ?
A) Puff balls and Claviceps
B) Peziza and Sink horn
C) Morchelia and Mushroom
D) Bird nest fungus and Puffball

Answer 1

Hint: This class consists of many different shapes of fungi. Some types are such that they release snow like clouds of spores when busted. The most edible form of fungi also belongs to this class.

Complete Answer:
Basidiomycetes is a class of Kingdom Fungi

Kingdom Fungi :
This kingdom includes Eukaryotic, Heterotrophic and Spore producing organisms. The fungal body consists of many hyphae and these criss cross in various forms to form mycelium.This Kingdom is further classified on the basis of Morphology of the Mycelium, Mode of spore Formation and Fruiting bodies into various classes. These classes are :
1) Phycomycetes
2) Ascomycetes
3) Basidiomycetes
4) Deuteromycetes

Class Basidiomycetes
- These are the most commonly seen fungi.
- These are the best decomposers of wood.
- These are commonly known as Club fungi.
- These show two types of mycelia : Primary and Secondary.
- Primary mycelia has monokaryotic cells and are short lived.
- Secondary mycelia is long lived and it is a dominant phase and it is known as dikaryophase.
- The basidium produces basidiospores which are exogenous spores.
- This class shows various frutifications like mushrooms, puff balls, toadstools, bracket fungi, etc.

Option A has one example from group Basidiomycetes (puff balls) and one from Ascomycetes (Claviceps)
Option B : Peziza is Ascomycetes and Sink horn is Basidiomycetes
Option C :Morchelia is Ascomycetes and Mushroom is Basidiomycetes
Option D : Both the options belong to Basidiomycetes. (Bird’s nest fungi is a type of Mushrooms)

Note: These are the most advanced groups of fungi.These are known as best decomposers of wood because they can decompose both cellulose and lignin. Very few organisms can actually decompose Lignin and hence Basidiomycetes are best decomposers.
Commonest example is Agaricus which is a common field mushroom and is the most edible one.