Relating to, characteristic of, or belonging to the basidiomycetes; having the nature or properties of a basidiomycete fungus.
From 'basidiomycete' plus the adjective suffix '-ous' (from Latin '-osus'). This adjectival form allows scientists to describe things as 'having basidiomycete qualities' without constantly saying 'related to basidiomycetes.'
Adding '-ous' to 'basidiomycete' created an adjective that lets scientists say 'that has basidiomycete traits' quickly—so instead of saying 'a fungus related to basidiomycetes,' they can just say 'a basidiomycetous fungus.'
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