The mushrooms in the Ascomycetes have spores that are produced in specialized holding cells called "asci".
The number of fungi belonging in the Ascomycetes is stunning (over 15,000!), but only a small number of the Ascomycetes actually produce fruiting bodies that could be called "mushrooms".
6 pictures, last one added on May 25, 2006
Basidiomycetes - Basidiomycota
The mushrooms in the Basidiomycetes have spores that are attached to basidia, which are specialized cells on the spore-bearing surface (for example, the gills). When the spores mature they fall from the basidia, catching the slightest air currents and, unlike the proverbial acorn, often falling far from the "tree".
