Basidium

From Free net encyclopedia

Image:Basidium schematic.svg The basidium (pl., basidia) is a microscopic structure found on the hymenophore of fruiting bodies of basidiomycete fungi. As such, the presence of basidia is one of the main diagnostic features of the Basidiomycota. The basidium usually bears two or four sexual spores called basidiospores. The word basidium literally means little pedestal, from the way in which the basidium supports the spores. However, some biologists suggest that the structure more closely resembles a club.

External links

• IMA Mycological Glossary: Basidum
• APSnet Illustrated Glossary of Plant Pathology: Basidum
• "Using a Microscope: Basidia and Cystidia" by Michael Kuo. MushroomExpert.com