the diploid form of plants that have alternation of generations. It develops from a zygote and produces asexual spores
Compare gametophyte
Derived forms
sporophytic (ˌspɔːrəˈfɪtɪk, ˌspɒ-)
adjective
sporophyte in American English
(ˈspoʊrəˌfaɪt; ˈspɔrəˌfaɪt)
noun
in certain plants and algae, the spore-bearing generation that is diploid and reproduces by spores: the sporophyte generation begins with the fertilized egg and ends with meiosis