heterosporous

[het-uh-ros-puh-ruhs, het-er-uh-spawr-uhs, -spohr-]

adjective

Botany.

1. having more than one kind of spore.

heterosporous

/ ˌhɛtəˈrɒspərəs /

adjective

1. (of seed plants and some ferns and club mosses) producing megaspores and microspores Compare homosporous

heterosporous

1. Producing two types of spores differing in size and sex, the male microspore and the female megaspore, which develop into separate male and female gametophytes. All seed-bearing plants, as well as some ferns and other seedless plants, are heterosporous.

2. Compare homosporous

Other Word Forms

• heterospory noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of heterosporous¹

First recorded in 1870–75; hetero- + -sporous

Example Sentences

"Usually when we see heterosporous plants appear in the fossil record, they just sort of pop into existence," said the study's senior author, Andrew Leslie, in a statement.

Read more on Fox News

Selaginella, sē-laj-i-nel′a, n. a genus of heterosporous cryptogams, allied to club-moss.

Read more on Project Gutenberg