noun
- Plural of pyxidium; small rounded seed capsules that open by a lid or cap, found in certain plants.
Usage: botanical term; plural form
Examples
- The pyxidia of the plantain plant release seeds when the lid-like structure opens.
- Botanists examined the pyxidia under a microscope to study seed dispersal mechanisms.
- Many members of the Plantaginaceae family produce pyxidia as their fruit type.
- The distinctive pyxidia allow these plants to distribute seeds efficiently in dry conditions.