List out the salient features of Basidiomycetes.

Explanation

1. Basidiomycetes include puff balls, toad stools, Bird nest's fungi, Bracket fungi, stink horns, rusts and smuts.
2. The members are terrestrial and lead a saprophytic and parasitic mode of life.
3. The mycelium is well developed, septate with dolipore septum (bracket like). Three types of mycelium namely primary (Monokaryotic), secondary (Dikaryotic) and tertiary are found.
4. Clamp connections are formed to maintain dikaryotic condition.
5. Asexual reproduction is by means of conidia, oidia or budding.
6. Sexual reproduction is present but sex organs are absent. Somatogamy or spermatisation results in plasmogamy, Karyogamy is delayed and dikaryotic phase is prolonged. Karyogamy takes place in basidium and it is immediately followed by meiotic division.
7. The four nuclei thus formed are transformed into basidiospores which are borne on sterigmata outside the basidium (Exogenous). The basidium is club shaped with four basidiospores, thus this group of fungi is popularly called "Club fungi". The fruit body formed is called Basidiocarp.