Final answer:
The vegetable related to a type of fungus with a short stem, gills, and a cap is a mushroom, belonging to the basidiomycete fungi of the Phylum Basidiomycota.
Step-by-step explanation:
The vegetable related to a type of fungus, having a short stem with pink or light tan gills, and a white, creamy or light brown cap is a mushroom. Mushrooms are not technically vegetables; they belong to the kingdom Fungi. The most common edible mushroom found in supermarkets is Agaricus bisporus, also known as the white button mushroom, pizza mushroom, Portabella, and Crimini. Mushrooms such as the familiar white button and other edible types belong to a group called basidiomycete fungi, within the Phylum Basidiomycota. These fungi produce structures known as basidiocarps (basidiomycete reproductive structures), which are characterized by their stalked cap and gill formations where spores develop.