etaerio

English

A raspberry, an example of an etaerio

Etymology

From French étairion, from Ancient Greek ἑταιρείᾱ (hetaireíā, “association”).

Noun

etaerio (plural etaerios)

1. (botany) An aggregate fruit comprised of achenes, drupelets, follicles, or berries.
   • 1882, Achenium, entry in The American Universal Cyclopædia, Volume 1, [Reprint of Chambers Encyclopædia], S. W. Green's Son, page 66

     Sometimes the achenia are aggregated upon a common receptacle, forming what is called an etaerio, as in the ranunculus, in which they are placed upon a dry receptacle, or in the strawberry, in which the receptacle is fleshy.

   • 1953, John Melvin Lowson, Textbook of Botany, University Tutorial Press, page 318,

     Clematis: actinomorphic; 4 petaloid sepals; petals 0; fruit an etaerio of achenes with persistent hairy styles.

   • 2018, Donovan Stevens, Daxton Ware, Biotechnology of Horticultural Crops, ED-Tech Press, page 62:

     Four types of aggregate fruits include etaerios of achenes, follicles, drupelets, and berries. Ranunculaceae species, including Clematis and Ranunculus have an etaerio of achenes, Calotropis has an etaerio of follicles, and Rubus species like raspberry, have an etaerio of drupelets. Annona have an etaerio of berries.

Usage notes

• An etaerio comprised of, for example, achenes is termed an etaerio of achenes.
• Some authors refer to an etaerio of drupes, although drupelets is the more precise term.

Related terms

• hetaera