noun
also spo·ro·phyl ˈspōrəˌfil, -pȯr-
( -s )
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary spor- + -phyll
1. : a spore-bearing leaf : a leaf more or less modified in form and structure that develops sporangia and may resemble and perform the functions of a foliage leaf (as in many ferns) or may be completely altered (as the spike of the adder's-tongue) — see megasporophyll , microsporophyll
2. : s small foliaceous structure bearing the sporangia in a brown alga of the genus Alaria
• spo·roph·yl·lary spəˈräfəˌlerē adjective