After mother-daughter cell conjugation, formation of long holobasidia
with terminal basidiospores was observed without mycelium production i
n Rhodomyces dendrorhous (including the type strain of Phaffia rhodozy
ma) on polyol-containing media. Basidiospores are not forcibly dischar
ged and germinate by budding. A new genus Xanthophyllomyces (Filobasid
iaceae, Tremellales) with a species, X. dendrorhous, is proposed for t
he teleomorphic state of R. dendrorhous.