# autoicous

**Pronunciation:** ɔːˈtəʊɪkəs · aw-TOY-i-kus

**Part of speech:** adjective

## Meaning

Having male and female reproductive organs on the same individual plant, specifically in mosses.

## Examples

- The bryologist identified the moss as autoicous after observing both archegonia and antheridia on the same stem.
- Unlike dioicous species that require separate plants for fertilization, autoicous mosses can often self-fertilize.
- The autoicous arrangement of reproductive structures is a key diagnostic feature for this particular genus of moss.

## Synonyms

- monoecious — A broader term for plants with separate male and female flowers on the same individual.

## Antonyms

- dioicous — Describes mosses where male and female organs are on separate individual plants.

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