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Glite Dictionary
family Ruscaceae

family Ruscaceae

9.9
A group of related plants sometimes treated as part of the lily family
  • noun
  • Specialized
: familia Ruscaceae
  • The genus Ruscus is classified under the family Ruscaceae by some botanists.

Examples

  • Many reference books still mention family Ruscaceae despite its limited acceptance.

  • Are there any members of the family Ruscaceae in this garden?

  • Recent taxonomic changes have merged family Ruscaceae with other related families.

  • The family Ruscaceae includes various species of plants.

  • The family Ruscaceae includes several species that thrive in dry environments.

  • Botanists study the family Ruscaceae to understand its unique adaptations.

  • Many plants in the family Ruscaceae are known for their distinctive foliage.

Synonyms

Ruscaceae
vsfamily Ruscaceae
  • Archaic
9.9

A group of flowering plants once treated as a separate family

is the same concept but described as sometimes a subfamily in modern systems

How Large

phylum
  • Specialized
4 8.7
class
∞ 1.8
order
  • Specialized
7 7.5
family Ruscaceae
  • Specialized
9.9
genus
  • Specialized
20 7.1
species
  • Specialized
928 2.7

Surface Forms

family Ruscaceae singular
families Ruscaceae plural

Morphology

family + Ruscaceae

The meaning is directly compositional: 'family' (a taxonomic grouping) applied to the proper taxon name 'Ruscaceae' yields the plant family called Ruscaceae. Scientific taxonomic naming (family + taxon name or the -aceae ending) is a regular, cross-linguistic pattern, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Family Ruscaceae comes from the plant group called Ruscus, a small shrub often called 'butcher's broom'. So today family Ruscaceae means a 'family' or group of related plants that some plant experts keep separate, while many now put them with other families.