Pucciniomycetes

Pucciniomycetes are cosmopolitan and can be found in both terrestrial and aquatic environments, although aquatic species are poorly understood.

Characteristics

Species in the class Pucciniomycetes develop no basidiocarp, karyogamy occurs in a thick-walled resting spore (teliospore), and meiosis occurs upon germination of the teliospore. They have simple septal pores without membrane caps, and disc-like spindle pole bodies. Except for a few species, the basidia, when present, are transversely septate. Mannose is the major cell-wall carbohydrate; glucose, fucose, and rhamnose are the less prevalent neutral sugars; and xylose is not present.