Geastraceae in the context of "Stipe (mycology)"

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⭐ Core Definition: Geastraceae

The Geastrales are an order of gasterocarpic basidiomycetes (fungi) that are related to the Gomphales. The order contains the families Geastraceae—which include the "earthstars" formerly placed in Lycoperdales or Phallales,—and also Schenellaceae, Sclerogastraceae and Sphaerobolaceae.

About 160 species are classified in this order, divided among seven or eight genera, including Geastrum, Myriostoma and Sphaerobolus. Sphaerobolus species are known as "shotgun fungus" or "cannonball fungus". They colonize wood-based mulches and may throw black, sticky, spore-containing globs onto nearby surfaces.

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👉 Geastraceae in the context of Stipe (mycology)

In mycology, a stipe (/staɪp/) is the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal tissue. In many instances, however, the fertile hymenium extends down the stipe some distance. Fungi that have stipes are said to be stipitate.

The evolutionary benefit of a stipe is generally considered to be in mediating spore dispersal. An elevated mushroom will more easily release its spores into wind currents or onto passing animals. Nevertheless, many mushrooms do not have stipes, including cup fungi, puffballs, earthstars, some polypores, jelly fungi, ergots, and smuts.

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Geastraceae in the context of Basidiomycota

The Basidiomycota (/bəˌsɪdi.oʊmaɪˈkoʊtə/) are one of two large divisions that, together with the Ascomycota, constitute the subkingdom Dikarya (often referred to as the "higher fungi") within the kingdom Fungi. Members are known as basidiomycetes. This division includes: agarics, puffballs, stinkhorns, bracket fungi, other polypores, jelly fungi, boletes, chanterelles, earth stars, smuts, bunts, rusts, mirror yeasts, and Cryptococcus, the human pathogenic yeast.

Basidiomycota are filamentous fungi composed of hyphae (except for basidiomycota-yeast) and reproduce sexually via the formation of specialized club-shaped end cells called basidia that normally bear external meiospores (usually four). These specialized spores are called basidiospores. However, some Basidiomycota are obligate asexual reproducers. Basidiomycota that reproduce asexually (discussed below) can typically be recognized as members of this division by gross similarity to others, by the formation of a distinctive anatomical feature (the clamp connection), cell wall components, and definitively by phylogenetic molecular analysis of DNA sequence data.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Basidiomycota ← Stipe (mycology) ← Basidiomycete ← Basidiomycetes
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Order (biology) → Puffballs → Basidiomycota → Fungi → Gomphales → Family (biology) → Lycoperdales → Phallales → Biological classification → Geastrum → Myriostoma → Sphaerobolus → Mulch → Spore →