Pycnidiospore

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A non-sexual fungal spore produced within a pycnidium, the flask-shaped fruiting body of certain fungi
2. An asexual reproductive spore that develops inside the small, flask-like structure called a pycnidium in some fungi
3. A conidium-like spore formed within a pycnidium, a closed fruiting structure found in many imperfect fungi

Etymology: Pycnidia are tiny, flask-shaped structures that some fungi build to hold their asexual spores, usually opening through a small pore at the top. The name comes from Greek "pyknos," meaning "thick" or "dense," and the diminutive ending "-idion," so a pycnidium is a little dense vessel. Scientists coined the term from Greek roots to describe these bodies, which is why it reads as classical even though no ancient Greek writer used it. The second half of the compound comes from Greek "sporos," meaning "seed," the same root that gives English "spore" and "sporadic." Put together, a pycnidiospore is a spore formed inside a pycnidium. These spores are typically released in sticky masses or carried by rain splash, which is how many plant-pathogenic fungi spread from one leaf or stem to another.

Synonyms: pycnospore