Actinomorphous

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Exhibiting symmetry that manifests in radial patterns with multiple equivalent segments
2. Describing an arrangement where structures are symmetrically aligned around a central axis creating uniform sections
3. Displaying a form characterized by symmetrical organization around a central point, resulting in identical parts or segments at regular intervals

Etymology: Actinomorphous is a botanical and zoological term for a flower or other structure that can be divided into equal halves along more than one line, like a starfish or a daisy seen from above. Its parts come from two Greek roots. "Aktis" meant a ray or beam, the same root behind "actinic," and "morphe" meant form or shape, which gives English "-morph" and "-morphous" in words like "polymorphous." Put together, the word literally describes a form built of rays radiating from a centre. The contrast is with zygomorphous structures, such as a pea flower or an orchid, which have only one plane of symmetry and so can be split in half in just one way. Biologists use the pair to describe how a flower's petals and sepals are arranged around its middle.

Synonyms: radially symmetrical