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Home , Ascocarp

CLASSIFICATION OF FUNGI

Ainsworth’s (1971), System of classification 1. Write a note on evolution of fungi. Give outline of any important and modern system of classification. 2. Give outlines of classification of fungi. 3. Describe Ainsworth’s classification of fungi. 4. Discuss the salient features of some important groups of fungi. 5. Give a recognized scheme of classification of fungi, and mention the chief character- istics of each class. 6. Give general characters of Ascomycetes. 7. Give outline of any system of classification you have studied. 8. Give system of classification propounded by any reputed author. 9. Give the characteristics of the sub-division Eumycotina, and its classes. 10. Give the characteristics features of the classes and orders prescribed in your syllabus. Ans: The answers of the above mentioned questions are as follows: Some mycologists are of opinion that the fungi have evolved from algae by loss of chlorophyll. If this is true, the fungi are plants and are properly placed in the ‘plant kingdom’. Mycologists of other school of thought, however, believe that the fungi had a common ancestry, with the protozoa but split off at a very early stage of organic evolution. If this is true, the fungi are neither plants nor animals - they are fungi. Ainsworth (1971) in his dictionary of fungi treated the fungi as a separate and inde- pendent kingdom. The out line of most accepted Ainsworth’s classification is given here. In this system, the fungi are treated as a separate kingdom. G.C. Ainsworth (1971) has upgraded the fungi upto kingdom level. He has treated the fungi in a separate kingdom, or a sub-kingdom of plant kingdom. The out- line of Ainsworth’s (1971) classification is given here. Outline of Ainsworth’s (1971) Classification Kingdom-FUNGI

Somatic body a mass of free-living Somatic body unicellular or multicellular plasmodium with no firm wall filamentous

Division-I MYXOMYCOTA II EUMYCOTA Single class - Myxomycetes Division II-EUMYCOTA

Motile cells absent Motile cells (zoospores) present : Perfect , oospore

Pefect stage present Perfect stage absent

Perfect spore Perfect Perfect spores Sub-divisions III MASTIGO- IV VI MYCOTINA V ZYGOMYCOTINA ASCOMYCOTINA BASIDIO MYCOTINA VII DEUTERO MYCOTINA Sub-division MASTIGOMYCOTINA

Posteriorly uniflagellate Anteriorly uniflagellate Biflagellate zoospores Biflagellate heterokontean zoospore (flagellum zoospore (flagellum (posterior flagellum whiplash swarmers (zoospore); whiplash type) tinsel type) type; anterior flagellum flagella whiplash tinsel type) cellulose type

PLASMODIOPHO OOMYCETES Classes - HYPHOCHYTRIDIOMYCETES ROMYCETES CHYTRIDIOMYCETES

Orders- 1. Hyphochytriales 1. Saprolegniales 1. Plasmodiophorales 1.Harpochytriales 2. Leptomitales 2. Chytridiales 3. Lagenidiales 3. Blastocladiales 4. Peronosporales 4. Monoblepharidales Sub-division - ZYGOMYCOTINA

Mostly saprophytic; sometimes weak Mostly commensals with the guts of parasites or mycoparasites some attacking arthropods; hyphae attached to inner lining insects but then developing of digestive tract; rarely on external parts inside instead of only attached to the inner of aquatic living arthropods; lining of digestive tract; zygospores where known bipolar or biconical generally spherical in shape

Classes - TRICHOMYCETES ZYGOMYCETES

Orders -

1. Harpellales 1. Mucorales 2. Asellariales 2. Entomophthorales 3. Eccrinales 3. Zoopagales 4. Amoebidales Sub-division ASCOMYCOTINA

Ascocarp and ascogenous Ascocarp and ascogenous hyphae hyphae absent; thallus mycelial present; thallus mycelial or yeastlike; asci naked

Ascus bitunicate; ascocarp an unitunicate; if bitunicate; ascostroma then ascocarp an apothecium

Asci scattered at various levels Asci regularly arranged forming a within a cleistothecium; ascospores at the base or periphery aseptate of ascocarp.

Ectoparasitic on Arthropods; Not ectoparasitic on Arthropods thallus reduced; ascocarp a perithecium; ascus inoperculate.

Ascocarp a perithecium; ascus Ascocarp an apothecium, often inoperculate massive; hypogeal or epigeal, ascus inoperculate or operculate

Classes 1. 2 3 4 5 6 Classes 1 2 3 4 5 6

HEMIASCO- LOCULOAS- PLECTOMY- LABOULBE- PYRENOMY- DISCOMYC- MYCETES COMYCETES CETES NIOMYCETE S CETES ETES

Orders 1. Myriangiales 1. Eurotiales 1. Laboulbeniales 1. 1. Helotiales 1. Endomycetales 2. Microthyriales 2. Microascales 2. Meliolates 2. 2. Protomycetales 3. Hysteriales 3. Onygenales 3. Coroyophorales 3. Tuberales 3. Taphrinales 4. Pleosporales 4. Sphaeriales 5. Dothideales 5. Clavicipitales Sub-division BASIDIOMYCOTINA

Basidiocarps absent, arising from thick walled Well-developed probasidium, a teleutospore, present basidia arranged in a teleuto-sori on host tissue, hymenium saprophytic, rarely parasitic on vascular plants parasitic

Basidiocarp gymnocarpous or Basidiocarp angiocarpous angiocarpous, hymenium exposed basidium holobasidium throughout its development, i.e., Gymnocarpous, hymenium enclosed in the first body, i.e., Angiocarpous Classes 1. 2 3

TELIOMYCETES HYMENOMYCETES GASTROMYCETES

Basidium Basidium phragmobasidium holobosidium Sub-classes HOLOBASIDIO PHRAGMOBASIDIO MYCETIDAE Orders: MYCETIDAE

1. Uredinales 1.Tremellales 1. Exobasidiales 1. Podoxales 2. Ustilaginales 2. Auriculariales 2. Brachybasidiales 2. Phyllales 3. Septobasidiales 3. Dacrymycetales 3. Hymenogastrales 4. Tulasnellales 4. Lycoperdales 5. Aphyllophorales 5. Geitiriales (Polyporales) 6. Tulostematales 6. Agaricales 7. Nidulariales 8. Melanogastrales 9. Sclerodermatales Sub-division - DEUTEROMYCOTINA

Without pseudomycelium or pseudomycelium with -like budding cells; true mycellium Mycelium developed assimilatory absent or underdeveloped budding cells absent

Sterile mycelium, spores borne on Spores or conidia formed in sporophores, sporophores may be pycnidia or acervuli grouped together, but pycnia and acervuli are not formed

Classs HYPHOMYCETES BLASTOMYCETES 1. Moniliales Orders 2. Mycelia sterilia COELOMYCETES 1. Melanconiales 2. Sphaeropsidales

N.B. The outline of Ainsworth’s (1971) system of classification of fungi has been given in preceding pages. The students should mention only those classes and orders which are prescribed in their syllabus.