pentamerous

American  

[pen-tam-er-uhs] / pɛnˈtæm ər əs /

adjective

1. consisting of or divided into five parts.

2. Botany. (of flowers) having five members in each whorl.

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pentamerous British  

/ pɛnˈtæmərəs /

adjective

1. consisting of five parts, esp (of flowers) having the petals, sepals, and other parts arranged in groups of five

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Other Word Forms

• pentamerism noun
• pentamery noun

Etymology

Origin of pentamerous

From the New Latin word pentamerus, dating back to 1820–30. See penta-, -merous

Example Sentences

Thus the formula S5P5St5C5 means that the flower is perfect, and has pentamerous symmetry, the whorls being isomerous.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 5 "Fleury, Claude" to "Foraker" by Various

Adephagous: belonging to the Adephaga: pentamerous, predatory, terrestrial beetles with filiform antennae and predatory habits: see hydradephagous.

From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by Smith, John. B.

A flower in which the parts are arranged in twos is called dimerous; when the parts of the whorls are three, four or five, the flower is trimerous, tetramerous or pentamerous, respectively.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 5 "Fleury, Claude" to "Foraker" by Various

In the British Adoxa the uppermost flower generally has two calyx-lobes with the other organs tetramerous, while the surrounding flowers generally have three calyx-lobes with the other organs pentamerous.

From The Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection, 6th Edition by Darwin, Charles

Hydradephaga; -ous: applied to aquatic, predatory pentamerous beetles with filiform antennae: see adephagous.

From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by Smith, John. B.