athyrium
|a-thy-ri-um|
🇺🇸
/əˈθɪəriəm/
🇬🇧
/əˈθɪrɪəm/
fern genus (without a shield)
Etymology
'athyrium' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'athyreos', where 'a-' meant 'not' and 'thyreos' meant 'shield' (referring to the lack of a distinct indusium).
'athyreos' was Latinized/Neo-Latinized into the botanical genus name 'Athyrium' used in modern taxonomy.
Initially, the element meant 'without a shield' (describing sori without an indusium); over time it came to be used as the formal genus name 'Athyrium' for a group of ferns.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a genus of ferns in the family Athyriaceae (or Woodsiaceae sensu lato), characterized in many species by sori that lack a distinct indusium (a shield-like covering).
Athyrium filix-femina is a well-known species of the genus Athyrium, commonly called the lady fern.
Last updated: 2025/11/11 08:00