protonema

American  

[proh-tuh-nee-muh] / ˌproʊ təˈni mə /

noun

Botany.

• protonemata
  plural

1. a primary, usually filamentous structure produced by the germination of the spore in mosses and certain related plants, and from which the leafy plant which bears the sexual organs arises as a lateral or terminal shoot.

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protonema British  

/ ˌprəʊtəˈniːmə /

noun

1. a branched threadlike structure that grows from a moss spore and eventually develops into the moss plant

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protonema Scientific  

/ prō′tə-nē′mə /

• protonemata
  plural

1. The green filamentous or flat, thallus-like structure that grows from the germinated spores of liverworts and mosses and eventually gives rise to a mature gametophyte.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• protonemal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• protonemata
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of protonema

1855–60; < New Latin < Greek prōto- proto- + nêma thread

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

protonema

The moss-plants arise from single projecting cells, and numerous plants may spring from the protonema developed from a single spore.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 "Brescia" to "Bulgaria" by Various

Vegetative propagation is widely spread in the mosses, and, as mentioned above, a protonema is always formed in the development of the new plant.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 "Brescia" to "Bulgaria" by Various

A filamentous protonema is first developed, some of the branches of which are exposed to the light and contain abundant chlorophyll, while others penetrate the substratum as brown or colourless rhizoids.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 "Brescia" to "Bulgaria" by Various

In addition to the leaves the stem often bears hair-like structures of different kinds, some of which correspond to modified branches of protonema.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 "Brescia" to "Bulgaria" by Various

The cells of the protonema of Schistostega, which lives in the shade of caves, are so constructed as to concentrate the feeble available light on the chloroplasts.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 "Brescia" to "Bulgaria" by Various

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