monocarpic plant
- noun
- /ˌmɒnəˈkɑːrpɪk plænt/
- Specialized
:
planta monocárpica
- Bamboo is considered a monocarpic plant because it flowers once and then perishes.
Examples
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The monocarpic plant bloomed beautifully this spring.
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The agave is a well-known monocarpic plant that dies after its single, spectacular flowering.
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Some gardeners avoid planting monocarpic plants since they will not flower or fruit again after their first season.
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Many monocarpic plants die after they produce seeds.
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The agave is a monocarpic plant, known for flowering only once in its lifetime.
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After producing fruit, the monocarpic plant quickly withers and dies.
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Unlike perennial plants, a monocarpic plant completes its life cycle after one flowering season.
Synonyms
A plant that flowers and makes fruit only once before it dies
A plant that flowers or produces fruit only once before it dies
Antonyms
How Often
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'monocarpic' already encodes the property 'flowers and dies after one cycle', so combining it with 'plant' yields a literal, compositional meaning 'a plant that flowers once then dies'. This is a straightforward adjective+noun construction (albeit technical) and follows predictable morphological logic found across languages, so a learner who knows the constituents can infer the full meaning.
Etymology
The name monocarpic plant comes from two small parts: mono meaning 'one' and carpic meaning 'fruit'. So it describes a plant that flowers and makes fruit only once and then dies.