Glossary
Site will be retired 9/1/2026
This site is no longer being developed and will be retired on September 1, 2026. Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to provide support to continue the project.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| papilla |
A small rounded or conic elevation, generally translucent, of the wall of sporangia and gametangia, which on breaking serves as the point of exit of zoospores. |
| papillate |
Having a well developed papilla. |
| paragynous |
Pertaining to the sexual stage in which the antheridium is attached to the side of the oogonium. Compare with amphigynous. |
| pedicel |
A slender stalk or support of spores, sporangia, cystidia, asci, etc. |
| pedicel length |
The length of pedicel on a sporangium after shedding by caducous species; three divisions are recognized by Gallegly and Hong: short, <5µm; intermediate, 5-20µm;and long, >20µm. |
| persistent |
Applied to structures that remain after their function has ceased; e.g., sporangia that remain in place after sporulation. Compare with caducous. |
| plerotic |
to be full; e.g., a plerotic sporangium is one which is full of spores; a plerotic oospore is one that fills the oogonium. Compare with aplerotic. |
| proliferation |
Successive development of new sporangiophores; internal proliferation occurs when the sporangiophore continues to grow through the empty sporangium; external proliferation occurs from growth of a sporangiophore from beneath and external to a sporangium. |
| pyriform |
Pear shaped, with the narrowest part at the base. Compare with obpyriform. |


