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Glite Dictionary
Punicaceae

Punicaceae

9.9
A former group of flowering plants that included the pomegranate, now placed in Lythraceae
  • noun
  • /ˌjuːnɪˈkeɪʃiː/
  • Archaic
: Punicáceas
  • Botanists used to classify pomegranates in the Punicaceae before merging it with the Lythraceae family.

Examples

  • The Punicaceae family is best known for its sole surviving member, the pomegranate.

  • References to Punicaceae are still found in older botanical texts.

  • The Punicaceae family includes the pomegranate.

  • Many botanists study Punicaceae for their unique fruit.

  • Botanists used to classify pomegranates in the Punicaceae family before merging it with the Lythraceae family.

  • References to Punicaceae are still found in older botanical texts that detail plant classifications.

  • The Punicaceae family is best known for its only remaining member, the pomegranate.

Surface Forms

Punicaceae singular
Punicaceas plural

Morphology

Punicaceae = Punica (opaque) = Punica + aceae

Formed from a Latin genus name plus the technical taxonomic suffix '-aceae', a construction unlikely to be interpretable by general learners.

Etymology

Punicaceae comes from the Latin word Punica, the name for the pomegranate, and Punica meant 'from Phoenicia' (a region by the Mediterranean). So Punicaceae literally names the plant family of the pomegranate, which is why the word refers to that fruit's family in botany.