microsporophyll

A microsporophyll is a sporophyll that bears only microsporangia. Sporophylls are leaf-like structures that bear sporangia, which are structures that produce spores. In plants with a heterosporous life history, there are two types of spores: microspores (male) and megaspores (female). Microspores develop into microgametophytes (male gametophytes), which produce sperm, while megaspores develop into megagametophytes (female gametophytes), which produce eggs.12

In angiosperms, the stamens are the microsporophylls, and the carpels are the megasporophylls. In gymnosperms, microsporophylls form microstrobili (male cones), and megasporophylls form megastrobili (female cones). The microsporangia within microsporophylls contain microsporocytes that undergo meiosis to produce microspores.23