noun
- Spores produced in an ascus, a sac-like structure found in ascomycete fungi; typically eight spores per ascus.
Usage: biology; mycology; plural form of ascospore
Examples
- Ascospores are released from the ascus when environmental conditions are favorable for dispersal.
- The fungus reproduces sexually by forming asci that contain ascospores.
- Under the microscope, ascospores appear as small, oval structures within the ascus.
- Many plant pathogens spread through airborne ascospores during wet weather.
- Ascospores germinate and infect new plant tissues when they land on suitable hosts.