propagule

American  

[prop-uh-gyool] / ˈprɒp əˌgyul /

Also propagulum

noun

1. Botany, Mycology. any structure capable of being propagated or acting as an agent of reproduction.

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propagule British  

/ prəʊˈpæɡjʊləm, ˈprɒpəˌɡjuːl /

noun

1. a plant part, such as a bud, that becomes detached from the rest of the plant and grows into a new plant

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propagule Scientific  

/ prŏp′ə-gyo̅o̅l′ /

1. Any of various structures that can give rise to a new individual organism, especially parts of a plant that serve as means of vegetative reproduction, such as corms, tubers, offsets, or runners. Seeds and spores are also propagules.

2. An elongated, dart-shaped seedling of various mangrove species growing in swampy habitats. A propagule develops from a seed that germinates while still attached to the parent tree. The parent supplies the seedling with nutrients and water until it becomes heavy and drops off. Its pointed end sticks in the mud or it floats away to colonize another area.

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Etymology

Origin of propagule

1855–60; < New Latin propāgulum, derivative of propāgō shoot, runner; see propagate, -ule

Example Sentences

Splash cups are widely employed among plants and fungi for spore or propagule dispersal.

From Scientific American • Jul. 28, 2012