Meanings
- not comparablebiologyHaving the same host during the entire life cycle.
- not comparablebiologyA plant species having only hermaphroditic flowers (also known as bisexual or perfect flowers), that is those with both carpels (female) and stamens (male).
Further, we use homoecious to describe angiosperms with only bisexual flowers. This is an alternative state to heteroecious and complements monoecious and dioecious.
1995, R. W. Cruden, R. M. Lloyd, “Embriophytes have equivalent sexual phenotypes and breeding systems: why not a common terminology to describe them?”, in American Journal of Botany, volume 82, number 6, page 8161 more example
Cryptanthus has been divided into two subgenera: (1) Cryptanthus, comprising andromonoecious plants, i.e. plants which harbour both hermaphroditic and male flowers on the same plant, and (2) Hoplocryptanthus Mez with homoecious plants (i.e. with hermaphroditic flowers only)
2017, G. A. S. Cruz et al, “M olecular phylogeny, character evolution and historical biogeography of Cryptanthus Otto & A. Dietr. (Bromeliaceae)”, in Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, volume 107, page 153
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveof parasites especially rust fungi; completing the entire life cycle on a single host
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekὁμός“identical”
- Englishhomoecious
From Ancient Greek ὁμός (homós, “identical”) + οἰκία (oikía, “house, family, tribe”), equivalent to hom- + -oecious.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
homoecious. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/homoecious
“homoecious.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/homoecious. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “homoecious,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/homoecious.
Source: homoecious on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.