User:Rhole2001/sandbox/Draft Fungi Phyla

Fungi Divisions (Phyla)

In mycology the equivalent of Phylum is called a Division.

The Kingdom Fungi is divided into 8 Divisions.

Ascomycota
/Ascomycota/

Name Meaning: Bladder fungus

English Common Name: Ascomycetes, sac fungi

Major distinguishing characteristics: Presence of an ascus, a sexual structure in which ascospores are formed

Approximate number of species described: 64,000

Basidomycota
/Basidomycota/

Name Meaning: Small base fungus

English Common Name: Basidiomycetes, mushrooms, puffballs, skinkhorns, bracket fungi

Major distinguishing characteristics: Reproduce sexually through specialized cells called basidia.

Approximate number of species described: 31,500

Blastocladiomycota
/Blastocladiomycota/

Name Meaning: Offshoot branch fungus

English Common Name: Blastoclads, chytrids

Major distinguishing characteristics:

Approximate number of species described: 18 genera

Chytridomycota
/Chytridomycota/

Name Meaning: Little cooking pot fungus

English Common Name: Chytrids

Major distinguishing characteristics: molecular data, zoospore ultrastructure, and some other microcharacteristics

Approximate number of species described: over 750

Glameromycota
/Glameromycota/

Name Meaning: Ball of yarn fungus

English Common Name: Glomeromycetes

Major distinguishing characteristics: Most form symbiotic associations with plants

Approximate number of species described: 230

Microsporidia
/Microsporidia/

Name Meaning: Small seeds

English Common Name: Microsporans

Major distinguishing characteristics: Parasites of animals

Approximate number of species described: 1500 names, there are probably over 1 million species

Neocallimastigomycota
/Neocallimastigomycota/

Name Meaning: New beautiful whip fungus

English Common Name: Neocallimastigomycetes

Major distinguishing characteristics: Found in the digestive tracts of herbivores

Approximate number of species described: 9 genera

Zygomycota
/Zygomycota/

Name Meaning: Pair fungus, zygote fungus

English Common Name: Zygomycetes, zygote fungi

Major distinguishing characteristics: Zygosporangia that form spherical spores during sexual reproduction

Approximate number of species described: 1050