Exobasidiomycetes
class of fungi
Quick Summary
The Exobasidiomycetes are a class of fungi that are parasitic and pathogenic on plants. This class includes fungi that cause diseases such as smut.1
The family Exobasidiaceae, which is part of this class, comprises fungi that parasitize higher plants. These fungi produce their hymenium (a spore-bearing layer) as a thin coating on the surface of the host plant, without forming a distinct fruiting body. The type genus for this family is Exobasidium, which includes fungi that cause swollen thickenings on plants, resembling galls.23
Summary created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
3 Britannica Sources
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
