anthocerotaceae
|an-tho-ce-ro-ta-ce-ae|
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/ˌænθoʊsəˈroʊteɪsiː/
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/ˌænθəʊsəˈrɒteɪsiː/
hornwort family
Etymology
'anthocerotaceae' originates from New Latin, specifically the taxonomic formation 'Anthocerotaceae', where the element 'anthos' (from Greek) meant 'flower' and 'keras/kerat-' meant 'horn'.
'anthocerotaceae' traces back to Greek 'anthoceros' (ἄνθος 'anthos' = 'flower' + κέρας 'keras' = 'horn'), passed into New Latin as names like 'Anthocerotae' or 'Anthocerotaceae' and eventually became the modern English family name 'anthocerotaceae'.
Initially it referred to the descriptive phrase 'flower-horn' (a reference to the horn-like sporophyte), but over time it evolved into the formal taxonomic name for the family of hornwort plants.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a botanical family (Anthocerotaceae) of non-vascular plants commonly known as hornworts, characterized by a thalloid gametophyte and horn-like elongate sporophytes.
Anthocerotaceae contains several genera of hornworts that grow in damp, shaded habitats.
Last updated: 2025/08/24 05:59