epithecium: Meaning and Definition of

ep•i•the•ci•um

Pronunciation: (ep"u-thē'shē-um, -sē-um), [key]
— pl. -ci•a
  1. the surface layer of tissue of the fruiting body of lichens and fungi, formed by the union of the tips of the paraphyses over the spore sacs.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.