Androclinium

/ˌændrəˈklɪniəm/ noun

Definition

A structure in ferns and related plants consisting of a modified fertile frond portion bearing male reproductive organs.

Etymology

From Greek 'andros' (male) and 'klinis' (bed), with Latin nominative -um. This botanical term specifically refers to the fertile part of a fern frond.

Kelly Says

Ferns organize their spore-producing structures so differently from flowering plants that botanists created entirely separate vocabularies—androclinium is like the male version of a flower's stamen.

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