Basidiomycetes, the third most diverse phylum of fungi with about sixteen thousand described species, are the most familiar fungi. These include not only the mushrooms, toadstools, puffballs, jelly fungi and shelf fungi, but also many important plant pathogens among the groups called rusts and smuts. All these fungi bear characteristic fruiting bodies called basidiocarps. Later are most attractive and beautiful of all fungi and are called fungus flower.