Final answer:
The statement ``Mushrooms are not vegetables, strictly speaking`` is TRUE
Step-by-step explanation:
Mushrooms are actually fungi, not vegetables. They are the reproductive structures of certain fungi, and they develop above the ground when the fungus is ready to reproduce.
They are actually fungi, which is a separate kingdom in biology. Fungi are not plants because they do not undergo photosynthesis and they obtain nutrients by breaking down organic matter. Mushrooms are the reproductive structures of certain fungi, and they develop above the ground when the fungus is ready to reproduce.