Carcinomycetaceae: a new family in the Heterobasidiomycetes

A group of holobasidiate mycoparasites, growing on Basidiomycetes, was studied by light– and electron microscopy. The parasites develop haustoria which penetrate the host–cells. Often a hypertrophic, gall–like growth of the host is induced by this parasitic interaction. Ana– and teleomorph stages and functions are highly diverse and not yet fully understood. Two species produce unique zygoconidia. The mechanism of spore abstriction on apically sterigmate holobasidia is hymenomycet–ous or gasteromycetous, and the basidiospores usually germinate by budding. Doli–pores without parenthesomes were found in three species. A heterobasidiomycetous relationship is proposed for the three genera, Christiansenia, Syzygospora , and Car–cinomyces gen. nov. Taxonomic considerations led to the proposal of a new family, the Carcinomycetaceae. This is Part 11 of a series, “Studies in Heterobasidiomycetes” of the Institut für Biologie I, Lehrstuhl Spezielle Botanik, Universitat Tubingen and the Department of Botany, University of British Columbia.