A plant that lacks cotyledons or seed-leaves; specifically referring to plants like ferns and mosses that have no true seeds.
From Greek a- (without) plus cotyledon (from kotylopaidion, a cup-shaped cavity). Botanical term created in the 18th century to classify seed-free plants.
Ferns are acotyledons, which stumped botanists for centuries because they grow from spores, not seeds—it wasn't until microscopes improved that scientists understood ferns reproduce like aliens do: releasing invisible spores instead of seeds.
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