gnetal

English

Alternative forms

• gnetale

Etymology

From translingual Gnetales.

Noun

gnetal (plural gnetals)

1. (botany) Any species of the order Gnetales of relict gymnosperms.

   Synonym: gnetophyte

   • 1959, AIBS Bulletin, Volumes 9-12, American Institute of Biological Sciences, page 38:

     It^{[the publicised book]} provides a complete coverage of the evolutionary approach to the major plant groups and discusses such special subjects as details on water ferns, gnetals, cyiads,^[sic] the principal fungous groups, and slime molds.

Usage notes

• The gnetals are three genera: Ephedra, Gnetum and Welwitschia, each placed by itself in a family, within order Gnetales. In terms of included species, the order Gnetales is identical to the division Gnetophyta: both Gnetophyta and its class Gnetopsida (which contains Gnetales) are monotypic.
  • Thus, the gnetals can equally validly be defined as the members of Gnetophyta—or even of Gnetopsida. In fact, the synonym gnetophyte is much more common.

Adjective

gnetal (not comparable)

1. (botany) Of or pertaining to the species of the order Gnetales.
   • 1918, John Muirhead Macfarlane, The Causes and Course of Organic Evolution, page 371:

     As we already have had occasion to remark for the gnetal and casuarinal alliances, a ½ floral symmetry is evidently an ancient one for that phylum.

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /neˈtal/ [neˈt̪al]
• Rhymes: -al

Noun

gnetal m (plural gnetales)

1. gnetophyte