Sordariomycetes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A major taxonomic class of filamentous fungi within the phylum Ascomycota, many of which grow on wood, dung, and other decaying organic matter
2. A large group of sac fungi in the division Ascomycota, including many species that decompose plant debris and produce distinctive fruiting bodies
3. The taxonomic class of ascomycete fungi, a diverse assemblage of mostly saprotrophic species classified under the phylum Ascomycota

Etymology: The word "sordariomycetes" is the plural of "sordariomycete," and it names a class of fungi within the phylum Ascomycota. Its shape gives away its construction: it is built from "Sordaria," the name of a genus of fungi, joined to the Greek "mykes," meaning fungus, with the usual ending for a taxonomic class. Biologists formed the name in the same way as many other fungal group names, by taking the name of a representative genus and attaching a suffix that marks its rank. "Sordaria" itself was chosen as the anchor for the group, so the class is named after one of its members rather than after a description of its features. The "-mycetes" ending, from the Greek "mykes," is the standard marker for fungal classes.