noun
- A form of asexual reproduction in ferns and other plants in which a sporophyte develops directly from gametophyte tissue without the formation of spores.
Usage: botany; technical
Examples
- Apospory allows certain fern species to reproduce without producing spores.
- In apospory, the gametophyte bypasses the normal sexual reproduction cycle.
- Scientists study apospory to understand alternative reproductive pathways in plants.
- Some fern populations rely on apospory as their primary means of reproduction.