Kingdom Fungi Scientific name Ustilaginales Rank Order | Division Basidiomycota Higher classification Ustilaginomycetes | |
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Lower classifications Ustilago, Corn smut, Rhodosporidium toruloides, Sporisorium | ||
The Ustilaginales are an order of fungi within the class Ustilaginomycetes. The order contains 8 families, 49 genera, and 851 species.
Contents
Ustinaginales is also known and classified as the smut fungi. They are serious plant pathogens, with only the dikaryotic stage being obligately parasitic.
Morphology
Has a thick-walled resting spore (teliospore), known as the "brand" (burn) spore or chlamydospore.
Economic importance
They can infect corn plants (Zea mays) producing tumor-like galls that render the ears unsaleable. This corn smut, is also known as huitlacoche and sold canned for consumption in Latin America.
References
Ustilaginales Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA