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trilete spore
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Diagram showing the structure of trilete spores: the left image displays a tetrad of four connected spores with a central trilete mark, the center shows a single trilete spore from above with labeled features including lasura and margo, and the right shows a side view with labels for proximal and distal poles, equator, margo, and trilete lasurae.
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trilete spore

biology
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Diagram showing the structure of trilete spores: the left image displays a tetrad of four connected spores with a central trilete mark, the center shows a single trilete spore from above with labeled features including lasura and margo, and the right shows a side view with labels for proximal and distal poles, equator, margo, and trilete lasurae.
trilete spore Trilete spores appeared in the late Late Ordovician Period.

A trilete spore is a type of spore that divides via meiosis to form a tetrad of cells that disperse separately. These spores first appeared in the late Ordovician Period and are considered potential ancestors of land plants. The basic shape of a trilete spore is tetrahedral, with a proximal face made of three sloping planes and a distal face that is rounded. This tetrahedral structure results in a three-branched scar, known as a trilete scar, where the four spores were initially joined. Trilete spores are thought to have given rise to vascular plants.12

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3 Britannica Sources
  1. tetraspore
  2. Ordovician Period - Earliest land plants
  3. fern - Shape

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