ˈmasyələ noun
( plural massu·lae -ˌlē)
Etymology: New Latin, from Latin, small mass, from massa lump, mass + -ula — more at mass
1. : a coherent mass of pollen grains (as in certain orchids) developed from a single pollen mother cell
2. : a hardened layer of cytoplasm formed around the maturing microspore in some heterosporous ferns (as of the genus Azolla )