The seed or spore generated within a fruit, particularly in certain algae and plants where the spore develops from a carpogonium (female reproductive structure).
From Greek 'karpos' (fruit) + 'sperma' (seed). This term developed in 19th-century algology to describe reproductive structures in red algae.
Red algae have mind-bending sexual reproduction—a carposperm is the offspring of their mating process, and these spores were crucial to early botanists understanding that algae reproduce like plants, not just animals.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.