gōˈnidēəm noun
( plural gonid·ia -ēə)
Etymology: New Latin, from gon- + -idium
1.
a. : an asexual reproductive cell or group of cells arising in or on the gametophyte usually in special organs — see gonidangium
b. : one of the green chlorophyll-bearing cells that are found within the thallus of a lichen and that sometimes constitute a definite layer but are often scattered — called also brood cell
2. : one of the supposed reproductive granules formed internally in certain bacteria (as of the genus Azotobacter )