noun
- The fruiting body of an ascomycete fungus, containing asci (spore-producing structures).
Usage: technical; mycology
Examples
- The ascocarp of the cup fungus is cup-shaped and brightly colored.
- Biologists examined the ascocarp under a microscope to identify the fungal species.
- The ascocarp develops after the sexual reproduction of ascomycete fungi.
- Different types of ascocarps include apothecia, perithecia, and cleistothecia.
- The ascocarp releases spores when mature, dispersing them into the environment.