Sporocarps

Sporocarp refers to a spore-producing structure or fruiting body in certain fungi and other organisms. In mycology, sporocarps are the bodies that generate and release spores, ranging from small structures in rusts and smuts to the large fruiting bodies of mushrooms and puffballs. They develop from vegetative mycelium or from a plasmodial stage in slime molds, and their formation is usually tied to environmental cues such as humidity, temperature, or nutrient status.

In fungi, sporocarps may house different spore-bearing organs; in basidiomycetes they form basidiomata, which produce basidiospores on basidia, whereas in some ascomycetes the term can describe fruiting structures that bear asci, though the more common term is ascoma. In rusts and smuts, sporocarps refer to specialized structures that generate multiple spore types as part of their complex life cycles.

In slime molds, sporocarps are stalked or unbranched structures that elevate spore masses to aid dispersal after the plasmodial stage. In algae and other protists, sporocarps may be specialized, weather-resistant bodies that protect and disseminate spores.

The term derives from Latin spora, meaning seed or seed-like body. Sporocarps are often used in taxonomy and ecology because their morphology and spore complement provide diagnostic characters and reflect life history strategies such as adaptation to dispersal or survival in challenging environments.