the smaller of two types of spore produced by some spore-bearing plants, which develops into the male gametophyte
Compare megaspore (sense 1)
2.
the pollen grain of seed plants
Derived forms
microsporic (ˌmicroˈsporic) or microsporous (ˌmicroˈsporous)
adjective
microspore in American English
(ˈmaɪkroʊˌspɔr)
noun
a haploid spore, usually smaller than a megaspore of the same plant, which gives rise to a male gametophyte: found in all seed plants, where it is an immature pollen grain, and in many lower vascular plants