noun
- Plural of autoecism; the condition in which a parasitic organism (especially a rust fungus) completes its entire life cycle on a single host plant species.
Usage: botany; mycology; technical
Examples
- Some rust fungi exhibit autoecisms, requiring only one host plant to complete their life cycle.
- The study of autoecisms in fungal pathogens helps plant pathologists understand disease spread.
- Autoecisms differ from heteroecisms in that they do not require alternate hosts.
- Researchers identified several autoecisms among the cereal rust species in the region.