anspore

Anspore is an obscure term that appears in a small number of historical botanical and mycological writings. It is not part of the standard modern vocabulary for spores or spore-forming structures, and there is no widely accepted definition.

In available sources, anspore has been used to refer to various concepts, including a spore-like body produced by nonstandard developmental pathways, a sterile or non-germinant propagule, or a mislabeling of related terms such as anisospore or asporic forms. Because usage is inconsistent, the meaning of anspore can vary by author, and some scholars treat it as a historical misnomer rather than a real biological category.

Etymology and usage notes: The form likely derives from the prefix "an-" meaning "without" and "spore," but the precise coinage and intent are uncertain. The term may reflect typographical variants or editorial confusion with terms describing spore size variation (anisospore) or absence of spores (asporous forms).

Relation to other terms: Anspore is sometimes discussed in relation to sporangia, sporulation, and fungal or algal life cycles, but it does not correspond to a single, clearly defined structure across taxa.

Because the term is not standard, readers encountering "anspore" should check the original publication for the author's intended meaning and consider alternative terms such as spore, endospore, anisospore, or asporous structures.