Basidiomycete

A type of fungus that produces spores in club-shaped cells called basidia, including mushrooms, toadstools, puffballs, and rust fungi.

From 'basidium' (Latin/Greek for club-shaped cell) plus Greek 'mykes' (fungus) with Latin noun suffix '-ete'. The term was systematized in the 1800s as mycologists organized fungi into major groups based on spore production methods.