fungus - a parasitic plant lacking chlorophyll and leaves and true stems and roots and reproducing by spores

order Ustilaginales, Ustilaginales - parasitic fungi causing smuts; sometimes placed in class Tiliomycetes

covered smut - a smut fungus causing a smut disease of grains in which the spore masses are covered or held together by the grain membranes

loose smut - a smut fungus of the genus Ustilago causing a smut disease of grains in which the entire head is transformed into a dusty mass of spores

corn smut, cornsmut - a smut fungus attacking Indian corn

genus Sphacelotheca, Sphacelotheca - genus of smut fungus

head smut, Sphacelotheca reiliana - smut fungus attacking heads of corn or sorghum and causing a covered smut

Tilletia caries, bunt - fungus that destroys kernels of wheat by replacing them with greasy masses of smelly spores

Tilletia foetida, stinking smut, bunt - similar to Tilletia caries

onion smut, Urocystis cepulae - smut fungus causing blackish blisters on scales and leaves of onions; especially destructive to seedlings

flag smut fungus - a smut fungus causing a smut in cereals and other grasses that chiefly affects leaves and stems and is characterized chains of sori within the plant tissue that later rupture releasing black masses of spores