Definition

Referring to a plant species that has male and female reproductive organs on separate individuals, meaning that one plant produces only male flowers and another produces only female flowers.

Example

The dioicous plants in the garden require both male and female specimens to produce seeds.

Conversation

Did you know that some plants are dioicous?

Really? What does that mean exactly?

It means they have separate male and female plants.

That's interesting! I didn't realize plants could be like that.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Dioicous is formed from "di-" (meaning two) and "oikos" (from Greek, meaning house). The term refers to organisms that have male and female reproductive structures on separate individuals, thus relating to the concept of two houses for reproduction.

Memory Tip

Think of 'two' ('di-') and 'houses' ('oikos') to remember that 'dioicous' describes species with separate male and female individuals.

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