araucariaceae
|a-rau-ca-ri-a-ceae|
/əˌrɔːkəˈreɪsiː/
southern conifer family
Etymology
'araucariaceae' originates from New Latin, specifically from the genus name 'Araucaria' combined with the Latin family suffix '-aceae', where '-aceae' meant 'family (of plants)'.
'Araucaria' was Latinized from a geographic name related to 'Araucanía' (a region in Chile); the botanical family name was later formed in New Latin as 'Araucariaceae', following standard taxonomic practice.
Initially the element 'Araucaria' referred to the genus (and ultimately to the geographic name); over time the combined form 'Araucariaceae' came to denote the botanical family of those conifers in scientific usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a family of mostly southern-hemisphere evergreen coniferous trees (order Araucariales), including genera such as Araucaria, Agathis and Wollemia; known from the Jurassic to the present.
The araucariaceae include large, long-lived conifers such as Araucaria and Agathis.
Last updated: 2025/10/02 09:00