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Glite Dictionary
sorediate

sorediate

9.9
Having small powdery bits that lichens use to reproduce
  • adjective
  • /sɔːˈriː.eɪt/
  • Specialized
: sorediado
  • Some species of lichens are sorediate, forming a fine dust that helps them reproduce.

Examples

  • The climber discovered that the lichen on the rock was sorediate, producing tiny, powdery structures.

  • In North America, psoromic acid-containing specimens are never sorediate, and the pseudocyphellae are less conspicuous.

    Academic text (2017)

  • During our hike, we noted several sorediate lichens, easily identified by their unique powdery structures.

Surface Forms

sorediate positive

Morphology

sorediate = soredium (transparent) = soredium + ate

A regular adjectival formation from the noun 'soredium' with '-ate' meaning 'having/producing;': the relation is directly predictable if one knows the technical base.

Etymology

The adjective sorediate comes from the noun soredia, the tiny powdery bits lichens make to reproduce, a bit like 'spores' or 'seeds'. So a sorediate lichen has a powdery surface that helps it spread.