An antheridium is a haploid structure or organ producing and containing male gametes (called antherozoids or sperm).
Antheridia are present in the gametophyte phase of cryptogams like bryophytes and ferns.
[2] Many algae and some fungi, for example, ascomycetes and water moulds, also have antheridia during their reproductive stages.
The female counterpart to the antheridium in cryptogams is the archegonium, and in flowering plants is the gynoecium.
The sterile cells may form a central support structure or surround the spermatogenous tissue as a protective jacket.