sporophyte

noun

spo·​ro·​phyte ˈspȯr-ə-ˌfīt 

plural sporophytes

: the diploid, multicellular, asexual reproductive stage in plants and algae that develops from the zygote and that produces spores

The plants most people readily recognize as ferns actually are the sporophytes; the gametophyte may be completely overlooked as green fuzz growing on the side of the pot.

—Donald E. Fosket

compare gametophyte

sporophytic

ˌspȯr-ə-ˈfi-tik 

adjective

sporophytic growth of a plant

Examples of sporophyte in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The researchers determined that UV radiation was the single biggest stressor for the moss, and that the sporophytes handled it — and the other hardships — much better than the juvenile moss and moss stem cells did. —Mike Wall, Space.com, 22 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sporophyte

• acolyte
• aconite
• allanite
• alunite
• amberlite
• ammonite
• amorite
• amphitrite
• analyte
• anchorite
• andesite
• anhydrite

Kids Definition

sporophyte

noun

spo·​ro·​phyte ˈspōr-ə-ˌfīt 

ˈspȯr-

: the individual or generation of a plant having alternating sexual and asexual generations that produces asexual spores compare gametophyte

Medical Definition

sporophyte

noun

spo·​ro·​phyte -ˌfīt 

: an individual or generation of a plant exhibiting alternation of generations that bears asexual spores, is usually not clearly differentiated in algae and fungi, and in vascular plants is the conspicuous form ordinarily seen compare gametophyte

sporophytic

ˌspōr-ə-ˈfit-ik, ˌspȯr- 

adjective