Dioecy

/daɪˈiːsi/ noun

Definition

An alternative term for dioecism; the botanical condition of having male and female reproductive organs on separate plants.

Etymology

From Greek 'di-' (two) and 'oikos' (house), a shortened or alternative form of 'dioecism' used interchangeably in botanical literature.

Kelly Says

Dioecy becomes a serious agricultural problem when you need fruits but planted the wrong sex—strawberry growers learned this lesson when they discovered some cultivars were entirely male and couldn't produce berries, requiring careful gender management of crops.

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