gametophyte
noun
ga·me·to·phyte
gə-ˈmē-tə-ˌfīt
plural gametophytes
: the haploid, multicellular, sexual reproductive stage in plants and algae that develops from spores and that gives rise to the male and female gametes which unite during fertilization to form the zygote
Note: In plants, both the gametophyte and sporophyte stages are present on one plant, but one of the stages will be greatly reduced or only present seasonally.
Angiosperm plants produce flowers, very beautiful and intricate structures, within which their reproductive development takes place. … The flower contains specialized structures, the anthers and the pistil or gynoecium, in which the male and female gametophytes, respectively, are formed.—Joseph P. Mascarenhas
Mosses exist in two distinct generations—the green, leafy gametophyte (the familiar green phase) and the wiry and leafless sporophyte …—Drew Monkman
compare sporophyte
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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