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family Ceratophyllaceae

family Ceratophyllaceae

9.9
A group of flowering water plants called hornworts that live underwater without roots
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia Ceratophyllaceae
  • The family Ceratophyllaceae contains only the hornworts, which are found in freshwater habitats.

Examples

  • Members of the family Ceratophyllaceae lack roots and are entirely submerged in water.

  • In many lakes, the family Ceratophyllaceae thrives, providing important habitats for aquatic life.

  • Botanists have long debated the evolutionary position of the family Ceratophyllaceae among flowering plants.

  • The family Ceratophyllaceae includes several species of hornworts.

  • Many aquatic ecosystems feature the family Ceratophyllaceae prominently.

  • The family Ceratophyllaceae is known for its unique characteristics among aquatic plants.

  • Researchers are studying the family Ceratophyllaceae to understand its role in freshwater ecosystems.

Synonyms

Ceratophyllaceae
vsfamily Ceratophyllaceae
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of water plants that grow in fresh ponds and lakes

is identical but emphasizes being coextensive with that genus

Surface Forms

Morphology

family + Ceratophyllaceae

The phrase is fully compositional: 'family' denotes a taxonomic grouping and 'Ceratophyllaceae' is the family name. A learner who knows both constituents can readily infer it refers to the taxonomic family of hornworts, and taxonomic naming patterns are cross-linguistically transparent.

Etymology

Family Ceratophyllaceae comes from the plant name Ceratophyllum, built from the parts cerato- and -phyllum that mean 'horn' and 'leaf' in Greek. The plants have thin, forked leaves that look like little horns, so the name now points to this small family of water plants.