Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
leptosporangiate

leptosporangiate

9.9
Ferns that have spore cases developing from a single outer cell
  • adjective
  • /ˌlɛptəspəˈrændʒiˌeɪt/
  • Specialized
: leptosporangiate
  • The leptosporangiate ferns release spores from tiny sporangia, which develop from individual epidermal cells.

Examples

  • Most ferns that you encounter in the forest are classified as leptosporangiate due to their unique sporangium structure.

  • (b) Leaf tip of Sadleria cyatheoides Kaulf, a leptosporangiate fern.

    Academic text (2001)

  • The golden fern in my garden is a leptosporangiate species that thrives in humid conditions.

Antonyms

eusporangiate
  • Specialized
9.9

Ferns whose spore cases grow from a group of surface cells not a single cell

Surface Forms

leptosporangiate positive

Morphology

leptosporangiate = leptosporangium (opaque) = lepto + sporangium + ate

The adjective is formed from the noun 'leptosporangium' by the regular adjectival suffix '-ate'.

Etymology

Leptosporangiate comes from two parts: lepto- meaning 'thin' and sporangium meaning a 'spore case'. So a leptosporangiate fern has thin, delicate spore cases, which fits the modern use for ferns whose spore cases develop from a single cell.