sōrus

Meaning

1. Any reproductive structure, in some lichens and fungi, that produces spores.
   Calosphaeria obvoluta Karst. (ds. S. 158). Perith. 8–16 in soros orbiculares mediocres dense stipata, circinantia, atra, villo fusco obducta tamquam contextu, sphaeroidea, collis perithecii diametrum plerumque suberantibus ostiolisque per peridermii rimas vel poros emergentibus, plus minus exstantibus plerumque 1 Mm. longis, subaequalibus, decumbentibus, flexuosis, obtusis, hispidis instructa.1874, “Neu aufgestellte Arten”, in Leopold Just, editor, Botanischer Jahresbericht ᴳᴮ, volume 2, page 317:
2. A cluster of sporangia on the edge or underside of a fern frond.
   Sporangia poro verticali v. rimula introrsum hiantia, syncyclica v. biseriata et connata in soros quasi multiloculares (bivalves), circulares, oblongos v. lineares, sparsos, confertos v. totam dorsi superficiem obtegentes, nudos v. indusiatos.1847, Paulus Horaninov, Characteres essentiales familiarum ac tribuum regni vegetabilis et amphorganici ad leges tetractydis naturae conscripti accedit enumeratio generum magis notorum et organographiae supplementum, St. Peterburg ᴳᴮ: K. Wienhöber, page 16:

Declension

Origins

From Ancient Greek σωρός (sōrós, “heap”).