noun
- Plural of appressorium; specialized fungal structures that fungi use to attach to and penetrate host plant surfaces.
Usage: technical; biology; mycology
Examples
- The fungal pathogen forms appressoria to breach the leaf cuticle of its host plant.
- Microscopic examination revealed numerous appressoria on the infected tissue.
- Many plant pathogens rely on appressoria as the primary mechanism for host cell penetration.
- The development of appressoria is a critical stage in the fungal infection process.