Fungi Classification and Types

Fungi Classification

• Fungi (Mycota)

  • Myxomycetes (Slime Molds)

  • Thallus composed of a naked mass of protoplasm called plasmodium.

  • Eumyctes (True Fungi)

  • Thallus is typically filamentous and composed of a mycelium.

  • Mycelium Types:

    • Septate Mycelium: Divided by septa.

Classes of Fungi

Class 1: Phycomycetes (Algal Fungi)

• Characteristics:

  • Aseptate hyphae.

  • Reproduction: Both sexual and asexual.

• Subclasses:

  1. Archimycetes:

  • Do not produce mycelium (includes Plasmodiophoromycetes and Chytridiomycetes).

  • Survive as resting spores in soil or infected plants.

  • Produce zoospores in free water.

  • Are obligate parasites with limited host ranges.

  • Spread via soil, water, and infected plant material.

  1. Oomycetes:

  • Aseptate hyphae, reproduce with oospores and zoospores.

  • Spread through infected soil, living and dead plant parts, or air.

  • Affect crops through downy mildews, white rusts, seed rot, soft rot, root rots, damping-off of seedlings, and late blight of potatoes.

  1. Zygomycetes:

  • Grow on dead plant tissue; can also affect stressed living plants.

  • Weak parasites or saprophytes.

  • Produce airborne, non-swimming, thin-walled spores and thick-walled sexual spores.

  • Associated with fruit and vegetable rots, seed and seedling rots, and common bread mold.

Class 2: Ascomycetes (Sac Fungi)

• Characteristics:

  • Include important sac fungi and yeasts.

  • Responsible for numerous plant diseases.

  • Septate hyphae.

• Examples of Diseases:

  • Powdery mildews.

  • Cankers.

  • Vascular wilts.

  • Foliar diseases.

  • Anthracnose.

Class 3: Basidiomycetes (Club Fungi)

• Subclasses:

  1. Hemiascomycetes.

  2. Euascomycetes.

Class 4: Deuteromycetes (Fungi Imperfecti)

• Subclasses:

  1. Homobasidiomycetes.

  2. Heterobasidiomycetes.

Types of Fruiting Bodies

• Apothecium:

  • Cup-like shape.

  • Spores produced in groups of 4 or 8.

• Perithecium:

  • Ball-like with an ostiole (an opening on top of the fruiting body).

• Cleistothecium:

  • Round, with spores enclosed.

  • Requires animals for dispersal and is often tasty to them.

• Pseudothecium:

  • Similar structure to perithecium.

  • Absorbs water, expands, and shoots out enclosed spores.