Question

Are basidiomycetes pathogenic?

Answer 1

Basidiomycetes:

1. Basidiomycetes include bracket fungi and mushrooms that belong to the kingdom of Fungi.
2. Few basidiomycetes are pathogenic.
3. They cause diseases in both plants and humans.

Examples of pathogenic basidiomycetes:

1. Ustilago causes a disease called smut in maize. It reduces crop yield to a great extent.
2. Puccinia, a plant pathogen, is responsible for leaf rust disease in wheat, rye, and barley.
3. Some filamentous basidiomycetes viz. Schizophyllum commune, Ceriporia lacerate are known to colonize respiratory tracts and cause lung diseases in humans.