Cycadales (Noun)
Meaning
Primitive tropical gymnosperms abundant in the Mesozoic, now reduced to a few scattered tropical forms.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The genus Dioon in the family Zamiaceae comprises approximately 11 living species of cycadales that can be found in the Americas.
- Paleobotanical findings suggest the widespread abundance of cycadales in tropical forests during the Mesozoic era.
- Today cycadales are limited to a handful of scattered tropical species primarily due to the rise of flowering plants.
- Some species within the order cycadales display anatomical characteristics like heterotrophic seeds, contradicting evolutionary predictions.
- Biology experts note that modern cycadales serve as the closest living relatives to the extinct ancient seed ferns of the extinct group pteridosperms.