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heterosporous

American  
[het-uh-ros-puh-ruhs, het-er-uh-spawr-uhs, -spohr-] / ˌhɛt əˈrɒs pə rəs, ˌhɛt ər əˈspɔr əs, -ˈspoʊr- /

adjective

Botany.
  1. having more than one kind of spore.


heterosporous British  
/ ˌhɛtəˈrɒspərəs /

adjective

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

heterosporous Scientific  
/ hĕt′ər-ə-spôr′əs,hĕt′ə-rŏs′pər-əs /
  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


Etymology

Origin of heterosporous

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


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Like all gymnosperms, pines are heterosporous and generate two different types of spores: male microspores and female megaspores.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

Like all gymnosperms, pines are heterosporous and produce male microspores and female megaspores.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 25, 2013

Gymnosperms are heterosporous seed plants that produce naked seeds.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 25, 2013

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