1. A large division of fungi characterized by the production of spores on club-shaped structures called basidia; includes mushrooms, toadstools, puffballs, and rusts.
Usage: plural form; singular is basidiomycete; technical/scientific term; also called Basidiomycota

Examples

• Mushrooms are the most familiar basidiomycetes found in forests and gardens.
• The basidiomycetes include many edible species as well as highly toxic varieties.
• Basidiomycetes reproduce through spores dispersed from their characteristic basidia.
• Rust fungi are parasitic basidiomycetes that damage crops worldwide.
• The study of basidiomycetes is important for understanding fungal ecology and food production.