dioecian
- adjective
- /daɪˈiːʃən/
- Archaic
- Many holly trees are dioecian, requiring both male and female plants for successful fruiting.
Examples
-
Unlike monoecious corn, spinach is a dioecian plant with separate sexes.
-
Some species of fish are dioecian, producing distinct male and female individuals.
-
Wow, those dioecian flowers are beautiful!
-
The dioecian plants require both male and female specimens for reproduction.
-
Many holly trees are dioecian, requiring both male and female plants for successful fruiting.
-
Some species of fish are dioecian, producing distinct male and female individuals.
-
Unlike monoecious corn, spinach is a dioecian plant with separate sexes.
Synonyms
Having males and females on different plants or animals
Antonyms
- Specialized
A plant or animal that has both male and female reproductive parts on the same body
Surface Forms
Morphology
dioecian = dioecy (semi-transparent) = di + oec + ian
Derived from the technical noun 'dioecy' with the adjectival ending '-ian'; the formation is regular but the root element 'oec-' is obscure to most learners.
Etymology
Dioecian comes from Greek parts di- 'two' and oikos 'house', meaning 'two houses'. So a dioecian plant or animal has male and female parts on different individuals, not on the same one.