A carpospore is a

diploid Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell, and hence the number of possible alleles for autosomal and pseudoautosomal genes. Sets of chromosomes refer to the number of maternal and paternal chromosome copies, respectively ...

spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...

produced by

red algae Red algae, or Rhodophyta (, ; ), are one of the oldest groups of eukaryotic algae. The Rhodophyta also comprises one of the largest phyla of algae, containing over 7,000 currently recognized species with taxonomic revisions ongoing. The majority ...

. After fertilization, the alga's

carpogonium The carpogonium (plural ''carpogonia'') is the female organ in the Red Algae (Rhodophyta) which have a highly specialized type of reproduction. It contains the reproductive nucleus. It may contain a number of cells usually without chloroplasts. It s ...

subdivides into carpospores, and generally the largest type of spore (larger than bispores, which are larger again than

tetraspores Tetraspores are red algae spores produced by the tetrasporophytic ( diploid) phase in the life history of algae in the Rhodophyta as a result of meiosis.Jones, W.E. Revised and reprinted 1964. A Key to the genera of the British seaweeds.''Field ...

). The wall of the carposporangium then breaks down, releasing the spores into the environment.

References

Red algae {{rhodophyta-stub