Agaricomycetes is a
class of
fungi. The
taxon is roughly identical to that defined for the
Homobasidiomycetes (alternatively called holobasidiomycetes) by Hibbett & Thorn, with the inclusion of
Auriculariales and
Sebacinales. It includes not only
mushroom-forming fungi, but also most species placed in the deprecated taxa
Gasteromycetes and Homobasidiomycetes. Within the subdivision
Agaricomycotina, which already excludes the
smut and
rust fungi, the Agaricomycetes can be further defined by the exclusion of the classes
Tremellomycetes and
Dacrymycetes, which are generally considered to be
jelly fungi. However, a few former "jelly fungi", such as
Auricularia, are classified in the Agaricomycetes. According to a 2008 estimate, Agaricomycetes include 17
orders, 100
families, 1147
genera, and about 21000
species. Modern
molecular phylogenetic analyses have been since used to help define several new orders in the Agaricomycetes:
Amylocorticiales,
Jaapiales,
Stereopsidales, and
Lepidostromatales.
