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Glite Dictionary
Cycadaceae

Cycadaceae

9.9
A family of ancient tropical plants with large leaves that look like palms but are not palms
  • noun
  • /ˌsaɪkəˈdeɪʃiː/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Cicadáceas
  • The Cycadaceae are often mistaken for true palms, but they are actually gymnosperms.

Examples

  • Many Cycadaceae species are endangered due to habitat loss and overcollection.

  • Did you know that Cycadaceae plants are among the oldest living seed plants?

  • Fossils show that members of the Cycadaceae family existed during the Jurassic period.

  • The Cycadaceae family includes many species that thrive in tropical climates.

  • Fossils show that members of the Cycadaceae family existed during the Jurassic period.

  • Many Cycadaceae species are endangered due to habitat loss and overcollection.

  • The Cycadaceae family includes many species that thrive in tropical climates.

Synonyms

cycad family
vsCycadaceae
  • Specialized
9.5

An ancient family of plants that look like palms and grow from cones

stresses mostly tropical habitat and large compound leaves
family Cycadaceae
vsCycadaceae
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of ancient seed plants that look like palm trees

focuses on botanical features and tropical distribution instead

Compounds

family Cycadaceae
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of ancient seed plants that look like palm trees

Surface Forms

Cycadaceae singular
Cycadaceae plural

Morphology

Cycadaceae = cycad (semi-transparent) = cycad + aceae

The suffix '-aceae' systematically indicates a plant family in botanical nomenclature, but recognizing this requires specialized knowledge, so the relation is only partly transparent to general learners.

Etymology

Cycadaceae comes from the plant name Cycas, a Greek word meaning 'palm', and the ending -aceae, which means 'family' in plant names like Rosaceae, the 'rose family'. So, Cycadaceae are the 'palm-like' family of plants, which helps explain why they look like palms today.