paroicous

9.9

Male and female sex organs are together in one reproductive part of a moss or liverwort

adjective
/ˈpærəˌoʊɪkəs/

Specialized

: paroico

Unlike dioicous forms, paroicous mosses produce eggs and sperm on the same shoot.

Examples

The paroicous arrangement can facilitate self-fertilization in certain bryophytes.
Some moss species are paroicous, with both antheridia and archegonia in the same cluster.
This moss is paroicous.
Look at that paroicous plant!
Some moss species are paroicous, where male and female reproductive organs are found in the same reproductive structure.
The paroicous arrangement in certain bryophytes allows for the presence of both antheridia and archegonia together.
Unlike dioicous forms, paroicous mosses can produce both eggs and sperm on the same shoot, enabling efficient reproduction.

Synonyms

hermaphroditic

vsparoicous

Specialized

1 9.5

An animal or plant that has both male and female sex organs

is specific about separate organs located inside one reproductive unit

synoicous

vsparoicous

Specialized

9.9

A moss that has both sperm and eggs in the same structure

places the two organs separately within that same reproductive unit

Surface Forms

paroicous positive

Morphology

paroicous = paroic + ous

The element 'paroic-' is a specialized botanical combining form (related to Greek combining elements like -oec-), and the adjective-forming suffix '-ous' yields a technical term whose meaning is not deducible by average learners from the visible parts.

Etymology

The word paroicous comes from Greek parts para- meaning 'beside' and oikos meaning 'house', so it pictures male and female parts 'living beside' each other in the same small part of the plant.