The common edible mushroom is a

The common edible mushroom is the fruiting body (sporocarp) of a fungus, primarily belonging to the Basidiomycota group [t2][t5]. While the vegetative part of the fungus consists of a network of thread-like hyphae called a mycelium, which is usually hidden underground or within a substrate [t7], the mushroom itself is a specialized reproductive structure [t6]. This structure is composed of very tightly interwoven or packed hyphae that form a multicellular mass [t1]. In Basidiomycetes, this structure is specifically called a basidiocarp, which bears the spore-producing tissue [t1][t2]. Unlike simple molds that produce 'blobs-on-a-stick' sporangia for asexual reproduction [c1], the edible mushroom is a complex, macroscopic manifestation of the fungal mycelium organized into a dense, functional form to facilitate the sexual production and dispersal of spores [t2][t3].

Sources

1. [1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/fungal-structures
2. [2] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC98996/
3. [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largest_fungal_fruit_bodies
4. [4] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: How do Organisms Reproduce? > 7.2.6 Spore Formation > p. 118