The
Gasteromycetes fungus is a subgroup of the
class Basidiomycetes (
Mycota division). The name literally means "stomach fungus," because the fungi produce their
spores inside the
fruiting body. Although the members of the group share the same name, that does not necessarily signify an
evolutionary relationship between the members. Examples include true and false puffballs, bird's nests, earthstars, stinkhorns, stalked puffballs, and toughskins.
Many members of the group start as roughly spherical masses of homogeneous tissue, and develop internal patterns of spore-bearing areas. In some species empty cavities form within the mass, and line these walls and protrude into the interior of these cavities. In other species the spore-bearing areas form with basidia and hyphae or a gelatinous matrix already in that area.
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