thallus
Term Information
- Accession
- PO:0030027
- Aspect
- plant anatomy
- Synonyms
- exact: 葉状体 (Japanese)
- exact: talo (Spanish)
- exact: thalli
- broad: prothallium
- Definition
- A whole plant in the gametophytic phase that has a flat growth form and no distinct organs. [source: PO_REF:00001]
- Comment
- A thallus is a gametophyte of liverworts and pteridophytes and develops from a short-lived protonema. Roughly two dimensional growth results from division of a single apical cell. Thalli may be ribbon or heart shaped or almost filamentous. Although there are no distinct organs, there may be tissue differentiation and dichotomous branching.
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