monocarp
- noun
- /ˈmɒnəˌkɑrp/
- Specialized
- The agave is a well-known monocarp, blooming spectacularly just once before it dies.
Examples
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Some gardeners are fascinated by the lifecycle of a monocarp like the century plant.
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After years of growth, the bamboo revealed itself as a monocarp by flowering and perishing shortly after.
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A monocarp blooms beautifully before it dies.
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The monocarps in the garden are stunning this season.
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The agave, a famous monocarp, flowers majestically only once throughout its life before dying.
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Gardeners often study a monocarp like the century plant, which flowers, produces seeds, and dies shortly after.
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In botany, a monocarp is a plant that completes its life cycle after producing fruit just once.
Synonyms
A plant that flowers and makes fruit only once and then dies
A plant that flowers or produces fruit only once before it dies
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
monocarp = mono + carp
Although the word contains the combining form mono- meaning 'one', the carp element is a technical botanical form that is not a transparent standalone English word for most learners.
Etymology
The word monocarp comes from Greek parts mono- 'one' and -carp 'fruit', the same mono- you see in monopoly or monologue. So a monocarp is a plant that flowers and produces fruit only once and then dies.