Gymnosporangium

noun

Gym·​no·​sporangium

¦jim(ˌ)nō +

: a genus of heteroecious rusts (family Pucciniaceae) that have mostly 2-celled teliospores whose pedicels and walls form a gelatinous mass when wet, that in the telial stage produce galls on cedars and other conifers of the genera Juniperus and Libocedrus, and that in the aecial stage cause rust spots on the leaves and fruit of apples, pears, and other plants of the family Rosaceae see apple rust

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from gymn- + sporangium

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!