paraphysis

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. One of the erect sterile filaments often occurring among the reproductive organs of certain fungi, algae, and mosses.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. An erect, usuallycolorless,sterile, unicellular or pluricellular filament or plate accompanying the spore-bearing or sexual organs of cryptogamous plants. In Fungi they occur with asci or basidia in the hymenium, and are also called cystides; in mosses, with the antheridia and archegonia; in ferns, with the sporangia in a sorus. Their function is doubtful, but in some cases they may assist in the discharge of spores. See also cuts under antheridium, conceptacle, and moss. Also periphysis.
2. n. An outgrowth of the roof of the fore-brain, developed in front of the epiphysis, in the hinder region of the prosencephalon.

Wiktionary

1. n. botany A minute jointed filament growing among the archegonia and antheridia of mosses, or with the spore cases, etc., of other flowerless plants.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Bot.) A minute jointed filament growing among the archegonia and antheridia of mosses, or with the spore cases, etc., of other flowerless plants.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a sterile simple or branched filament or hair borne among sporangia; may be pointed or clubbed