Fungalpedia – Note 3322, Exobasidiomycetes

 

Exobasidiomycetes Begerow, M. Stoll & R. Bauer, Mycologia 98(6): 908 (2007) [2006].

Citation when using this data: Wijayawardene NN et al. 2024 – Fungalpedia.

Index Fungorum, Faceoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1e.

Classification: Ustilaginomycotina, Basidiomycota, Dikarya, Fungi.

Simple spores and interaction apparatus (Bauer et al. 1997; Begerow et al. 2006). 

Life modes and distribution: Parasitic smut fungi (e.g. infecting Asparagaceae, Melanthiaceae, and Xanthorrhoeaceae), yeasts, widespread.

Notes: Bauer et al. (1997) introduced Exobasidiomycetidae to accommodate Doassansiales R. Bauer & Oberw., Entylomatales R. Bauer & Oberw., Exobasidiales Henn., Georgefischeriales R. Bauer et al., Graphiolales Oberw., Microstromatales R. Bauer & Oberw., and Tilletiales Haeckel. However, Begerow et al. (2006) introduced Exobasidiomycetes and regarded Exobasidiomycetidae as a synonym of the former. Begerow et al. (2006) also introduced Ceraceosorales Begerow et al. as a new order in Exobasidiomycetes. Subsequent studies by Wang et al. (2015a) and Li et al. (2022) introduced Golubeviales Q.M. Wang et al. (nom. Inval.) and Franziozymales Q.M. Wang et al. hence, currently, the class comprises ten orders.

Type order: Exobasidiales Henn., in Engler & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam., Teil. I (Leipzig) 1(1**): 103 (1898) [1900].

Type family: Exobasidiaceae J. Schröt. [as ‘Exobasidiacei’], in Cohn, Krypt.-Fl. Schlesien (Breslau) 3.1(25–32): 413 (1888) [1889].

Type genus: Exobasidium Woronin, Verh. Naturf. Ges. Freiburg 4(4): 397 (1867).

Type species: Exobasidium vaccinii (Fuckel) Woronin, Verh. Naturf. Ges. Freiburg 4(4): 397 (1867).

Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Exobasidiomycetes.

 

 

Figure 1 – Different taxa of Basidiomycota. a Agaricomycetes (Amanita hemibapha). b Bartheletiomycetes (Bartheletia paradoxa). c Cystobasidiomycetes (Cyphobasidium), white arrow shows the fruiting bodies. d Dacrymycetes (Dacryomyces spathularia). e Exobasidiomycetes (Exobasidium ferrugineae). f Malasseziomycetes (Malassezia); g Microbotryomycetes (Microbotrium). h Physodermatomycetes (Physoderma menyanthis). i Pucciniomycetes (Puccinia). j Tremellomycetes (Tremella fusiformis). k Tritirachiomycetes (Tritirachium oryzae). l Ustilaginomycetes (Mycosystema maydis). m Wallemiomycetes (Wallemia sebi). Photo credits: Figure a: Stephen Axford, Figures B-M: iNaturalist (The photos have been used under the CC BY-NC 4.0 non-commercial use license).

 

References

Bauer R, Oberwinkler F, Vánky K. 1997 – Ultrastructural markers and systematics in smut fungi and allied taxa. Can J Bot 75:1273–1314.

Begerow D. 2006 – A phylogenetic hypothesis of Ustilaginomycotina based on multiple gene analyses and morphological data. Mycologia 98(6):906–916.

Li YY, Wang MM, Groenewald M, Li AH et al. 2022 – Proposal of Two New Combinations, Twenty New Species, Four New Genera, One New Family, and One New Order for the Anamorphic Basidiomycetous Yeast Species in Ustilaginomycotina. Frontiers in Microbiology. Feb 11;12:777338.

Wang QM, Begerow D, Groenewald M, Liu XZ et al. 2015a – Multigene phylogeny and taxonomic revision of yeasts and related fungi in the Ustilaginomycotina. Studies Mycol 81:55–83. 

 

Entry by

Nalin N. Wijayawardene, Center for Yunnan Plateau Biological Resources Protection and Utilization, College of Biological Resource and Food Engineering, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, Yunnan 655011, P.R. China, Tropical Microbiology Research Foundation, 96/N/10, Meemanagoda Road, 10230 Pannipitiya, Sri Lanka, Department of Bioprocess Technology, Faculty of Technology, Rajarata University, Sri Lanka

 

Published online 2 October 2026

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