Genus Isoetes (Noun)
Meaning
Type and genus of the Isoetaceae and sole extant genus of the order Isoetales.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- Isoetes is a genus of aquatic plants in the family Isoetaceae, commonly known as quillworts, which is the only extant genus in the order Isoetales.
- The genus Isoetes is characterized by having quill-like leaves that arise from a central corm, and is found in a variety of aquatic environments around the world.
- The genus Isoetes is often divided into several sections, based on characteristics such as leaf shape and spore size.
- Fossil records indicate that the genus Isoetes has remained largely unchanged since the Triassic period, over 200 million years ago.
- The genus Isoetes is unique among vascular plants in that it has a heterosporous life cycle, producing two different types of spores.