In botany, a type of asexual reproduction where a plant grows directly without producing spores in the normal way.
From Greek 'apo-' (away, off) + 'sporos' (seed, spore). The term was coined by botanists in the 19th century to describe this unusual reproductive strategy found in certain ferns and other plants.
Some ferns literally skip the spore step and just say 'I'm going to become a full adult plant straight from this leaf'—it's like going from kindergarten directly to college, and it's an evolutionary superpower.
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