propagule

Noun

propagule (plural propagules)

1. A reproductive particle released by an organism in order to propagate itself, by means such as dispersal or infection, to the next stage in its life cycle e.g., seeds, spores, endospores, microbial cysts, etc.
   • Propagule size could be one of these silvical characteristics.1989, Discovery and Innovation, Volumes 1-2, Academy Science Publishers, page 90
   • In many combinations of fungi and soils more than one method of estimating propagules will need to be used to provide a valid test of propagule numbers.1992, I. C. Tommerup, “2: Methods for the Study of the Population Biology of Vesicular-arbuscular Mycorhizal Fungi”, in J. R. Norris, D. J. Read, A. K. Varma, editors, Methods in Microbiology, Volume...