Sporophyte
/ˈspɔːrəfaɪt/noun
The diploid, spore-producing stage in the life cycle of plants and many algae.
Did you know?In flowering plants, the familiar leafy plant is the sporophyte, while the pollen grain and embryo sac are tiny gametophyte generations hidden within it.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sper-
“To spread, scatter, or sow seeds”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰuH-
“To grow, exist, or come into being”
Ancient Greek
Greek
spóros
“Seed, sowing, or something scattered for reproduction”
Ancient Greek
Greek
phutón
“Plant; literally, something that has grown”
19th Century
Scientific Greek
sporóphyton
“A spore-producing plant or generation”
19th Century
English
sporophyte
“The spore-producing phase of a plant life cycle”