before vowels spor-, word-forming element meaning "spore," from Greek spora "a seed, a sowing," related to sporas "scattered, dispersed," sporos "sowing," from PIE *spor-, variant of root *sper- "to spread, sow" (see sparse).
-phyte
word-forming element meaning "plant, plant characteristic; planting, growth; abnormal growth," from Greek phyton "plant," literally "that which has grown," from phyein "to bring forth, make grow," from PIE root *bheue- "to be, exist, grow."