In fungi, the fruiting body (also known as sporocarp) is a multicellular structure on which spore-producing structures, such as basidia or asci, are borne. The fruiting body is part of the sexual phase of a fungal life cycle, with the rest of the life cycle being characterized by vegetative mycelial growth. Fruiting bodies that are visible to the naked eye, especially fruiting bodies of a more or less agaricoid morphology, are often referred to as mushrooms.

If the spores are borne on the club-like cells called basidia, the fruiting body can be called a basidiocarp (or basidioma, plural: basidiomata); if they are in sac-like asci, the fruiting body is an ascocarp (or ascoma, plural: ascomata).

Multicellular spore-producing structures on fungus-like organisms, such as slime molds, and some colonial bacteria, such as the myxobacteria, are also called "fruiting bodies".

Mycology | Fungal morphology and anatomy