name often given to a subgroup of fungi consisting of more than 700 species in the phylum Basidiomycota (kingdom Fungi). Their spores, called basidiospores, are borne within a variety of fruiting bodies (basidiocarps) that are often spherical or egg-shaped and resemble mushrooms. The shape of the fruiting body forms the basis for inclusion in the gasteromycetes subgroup. This subgroup often refers not only to gasteromycete species but also to nongasteromycete relatives.