Ericales

Học thuật
Thân thiện
Definition

Proper noun 1. A taxonomic order of plants: "Ericales" is the scientific name for a large order of flowering plants (dicotyledons). This order includes many families of heath-like or related plants, often characterized by flowers with fused petals and typically growing in acidic or infertile soils.

Usage
  • The order Ericales contains economically important plants like tea, blueberries, and kiwifruit.
  • Botanists study the evolutionary relationships within Ericales.
  • Many members of Ericales, such as heathers and rhododendrons, are common in gardens.
Advanced Usage
  • In taxonomic hierarchy: The name is always capitalized and italicized in scientific writing: . It sits above the rank of family and below the rank of class.
  • Phylogenetic context: In modern cladistics, Ericales is defined as a monophyletic group, meaning it includes all descendants of a common ancestor.
Variants and Related Words
  • Ericaceous (adj): Of or relating to the heath family (Ericaceae) or, more broadly, to the order Ericales. Describes plants with similar characteristics (e.g., preferring acidic soil) or the soil conditions they require.
    • Rhododendrons are typical ericaceous shrubs.
  • Ericad (n, rare): A plant belonging to the order Ericales.
Word Relations and Broader Context
  • Hypernym (Broader Category): Asterid (a major clade of dicot plants).
  • Hyponyms (Member Categories): Refers to the families within the order, such as:
    • Ericaceae (heath or heather family)
    • Theaceae (tea family)
    • Actinidiaceae (kiwifruit family)
    • Clethraceae
    • Diapensiaceae
  • Meronym (Part of): The plant kingdom (Plantae).
Notes on Meaning

This word has a single, precise meaning in scientific nomenclature. It is not used in everyday conversation but is standard terminology in botany, horticulture, and taxonomy.

Noun
  1. Ericaceae; Clethraceae; Diapensiaceae; Epacridaceae; Lennoaceae; Pyrolaceae; Monotropaceae