DIOECIA, (from di, twice, and ecia, a house or habitation) two houses. The name of the 22d class in Linnæus's sexual method, consisting of plants, which having no hermaphrodite flowers, produce male and female flowers on separate roots. These latter only ripen seeds; but require for that purpose, according to the sexualists, the vicinity of a male plant; or the aspergion, that is, sprinkling of the male dust. From the seeds of the female flowers are raised both male and female plants. The plants then in the class dioecia are all male and female; not hermaphrodite, as in the greater number of classes; nor with male and female
flowers upon one root, as in the class monoecia of the Diogenes same author. See BOTANY Index.