rhizoid

noun

(Gr. riza: root; eidô: to look like) Root-like cells in charophytes. A thread-like, unicellular absorbing structure, occurring in fern gametophytes and in some non-vascular plants, mosses, etc., which usually aids in anchoring and to increase surface area for acquiring water or nutrients; i.e. a root-like structure lacking conductive tissues (xylem and phloem). In liverworts and hornworts rhizoids are one-celled and usually hyaline; in mosses rhizoids are usually brown to reddish, simple or branched, multicellular filaments, generally with oblique end-walls. Cf. tomentum,