What In Botany Is Xenia?

Xenia and metaxenia are related to pollen, referring to the direct effect of pollen grains on seeds and fruits outside the embryo. Xenia is the direct effect of pollen genotype on the development and characteristics of seeds and fruits during the period from fertilization to seed germination. It is also known as “hetero-fertilization” and can be used to identify the best pollenizer parents to decrease fruit.

Xenia effects cause phenotypic variations in the seed and fruit, which are important for seed and fruit production but are not heritable to the progeny. Two hypotheses have been proposed:

1. Xenia is defined as the direction effect of the pollen grains (male parent) inside the embryo sac except for embryo (i.e., on the seeds and fruits, outside the embryo).
2. Metaxenia is the effect of pollen grains on the testa and fruit wall. Examples of xenia include maize and date palm.

The term “xenia” was coined in 1881 by botanist Wilhelm Olbers Focke to refer to effects on maternal tissues, including the size, shape, color, developmental timing, and chemical composition of pollen grains. This phenomenon can be used to identify the best pollenizer parents to decrease fruit.

Xenia effects are a hidden aspect of pollination that directly impacts the growth and characteristics of seeds and fruits from fertilization to germination. They cause changes in the physical appearance of the seeds and fruits, which are important for seed and fruit production but are not heritable to the progeny.

What is the meaning of xenia?

The Greek feminine name Xenia translates to both “guest” and “stranger,” thereby underscoring the significance of extending a warm welcome to those who are new to one’s life. Furthermore, the name conveys the virtue of hospitality, encouraging infants to openly greet potential friends.

Is xenia a flower?

Zinnias are popular garden flowers due to their diverse color and shape, ability to withstand hot summer temperatures, and easy growth from seeds. They bloom all summer long and can be grown in fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil in full sun. Since selective breeding began in the 19th century, over 100 cultivars have been produced. Zinnia peruviana was introduced to Europe in the early 1700s, followed by Z. elegans (Zinnia violacea) in 1790. Double flowering types were introduced in 1858 from India, offering shades of reds, rose, purple, orange, buff, and rose striped.

Zinnias have become popular flowering plants, with interspecific hybrids becoming more common. Their varied habits allow for use in various garden parts and attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Commercially available seeds and plants are derived from open pollinated or F1 crosses, with the first commercial F1 hybrid dating back to 1960.

What is an example of the Xenia effect?

Xenia, or hospitality, is a crucial aspect of Ancient Greek society, as it reflects the host’s obligation to treat their guests with kindness and respect. Zeus, the God of travelers, enforces this relationship, punishing those who break the rules. In Homer’s “The Odyssey”, there are examples of both good and bad xenia, with the group of 108 men who slouch around Penelope showing poor xenia and ultimately dying. Conversely, Eumaios, disguised as a beggar, presented great xenia when taking Odysseus in, demonstrating a central theme in the book.

One woman and goddess, Circe, was responsible for the problems that Odysseus faced on his journey. She turned all but one of Odysseus’ men into pigs, causing him to lose his pleasure in life. Circe also convinced Odysseus and his men to spend more time on the island, causing him to lose all pleasure in life. Additionally, Circe made Odysseus and his men take a different route, via the prophet Teiresias, to the Halls of Hades and the dreaded Persephone, causing the rest of Odysseus’ crew to be heartbroken and tore their hair out. Overall, xenia is a central theme in the epic and plays a significant role in the journey of Odysseus.

What is the function of xenia?

Xenia is an ancient Greek concept of hospitality, often translated as “guest-friendship” or “ritualized friendship”. It is an institutionalized relationship rooted in generosity, gift exchange, and reciprocity. Hosts must be hospitable to guests, providing them with bath, food, drink, gifts, and safe escort to their destination. Historically, hospitality towards foreigners and guests was seen as a moral obligation and political imperative. The concept of Xenia was honored by Zeus Xenios and Athene Xenia, patrons of foreigners, and was considered a moral obligation. The moth genus Theoxenia is considered a junior synonym of Ethmia.

What are 2 examples of xenia?

Xenia is an ancient Greek concept of hospitality, often translated as “guest-friendship” or “ritualized friendship”. It is an institutionalized relationship rooted in generosity, gift exchange, and reciprocity. Hosts must be hospitable to guests, providing them with bath, food, drink, gifts, and safe escort to their destination. Guests must be courteous to their hosts and not be a threat or burden. Historically, hospitality towards foreigners and guests was seen as a moral obligation and political imperative.

Hospitality towards foreign Hellenes honored Zeus Xenios and Athene Xenia, patrons of foreigners. The concept of Xenia is a crucial aspect of the ancient Greek culture and is often used to describe the relationship between hosts and guests.

Why is xenia so important?

Xenia was a significant concept in ancient times when people believed that gods mingled among them, and poor hostility could lead to the wrath of a disguised deity. Zeus, also known as Zeus Xenios, was a notable figure in this role. This normalized theoxeny or theoxenia, where humans demonstrated their virtue by extending hospitality to a humble stranger (xenos), who turned out to be a disguised deity (theos). These stories cautioned mortals that any guest should be treated as if they were potentially a disguised divinity, as deities could instill punishment or reward for their behavior.

The term theoxenia also covered entertaining and hosting among the gods themselves, a popular subject in classical art. Deities were seen as symbols of virtuosity, often performing theoxenia among themselves. These practices of guest-friendship were centered on the gods but became common among the Greeks in incorporating xenia into their customs and manners. Xenia became a standard practice throughout Greece, involving humans and gods, culturally reinforced through understandings of gods interacting with gods.

What is xenia known for?

Xenia, Ohio, known as the “City of Hospitality” due to its Greek word “Xenia”, is a community with a population of nearly 26, 000. It is a diverse, friendly, and family-oriented community with quality-of-life options such as nationally recognized bike trails, award-winning schools, a historic downtown, parks, recreational facilities, and abundant land for industrial expansion. The city offers a range of municipal services, including water, sewer, refuse collection, parks, recreation, police, fire, and emergency ambulance, with water and sewer rates among the lowest in the Greater Dayton area.

Xenia is a family community, offering homes in newly developing subdivisions, restored historical districts, quiet established neighborhoods, and conveniently located condominium or patio home complexes.

What is xenia botany?

Xenia, also known as the Xenia effect, is the impact of pollen on the seeds and fruit of a fertilized plant, separate from the pollen’s contribution to the next generation. It was first coined in 1881 by botanist Wilhelm Olbers Focke to describe effects on maternal tissues, including the seed coat and pericarp. Later, metaxenia was used to describe effects on purely maternal tissues. One example of xenia is the different colors produced in maize (Zea mays) by an assortment of alleles via individual pollen grains, which are cultivated for decorative purposes.

What is an example of metaxenia?

Xenia/metaxenia has been proposed to improve maize yield and other fruit crops, but no instance of this phenomenon has been described in tomatoes. In early tomato fruit, trichomes grow from the epidermal layer, but disappear or become rare in mature fruit. In contrast, trichomes of S. galapagense are abundant and permanent. Pollination induces MADS-box genes to control epidermis cell density (ECD) and pericarp size in the first week after anthesis.

This study aims to describe xenia in seed weight and metaxenia in ECD and trichome density on the tomato fruit after pollination by S. galapagense S. Darwin and Peralta. The study tested the hypotheses that the magnitude of metaxenia for trichome density is not dependent on the variation in ECD and that the fruit volume of the female plant influences the degree of metaxenia effect.

What is the concept of xenia?

Xenia is an ancient Greek concept of hospitality, often translated as “guest-friendship” or “ritualized friendship”. It is an institutionalized relationship based on generosity, gift exchange, and reciprocity. Historically, hospitality towards foreigners and guests was seen as a moral obligation and political imperative. The concept was honored by Zeus Xenios and Athene Xenia, patrons of foreigners, and was often translated as “guest-friendship” or “ritualized friendship”. Theoxenia, a moth genus, is considered a junior synonym of Ethmia. The concept of hospitality is deeply rooted in Greek culture and is often referred to as “Theoxenia”.

What is the difference between Xenia and Metaxenia in plants?

Xenia refers to the direction of pollen grains within the embryo sac, while Metaxenia affects the testa and pericarp outside the embryo sac. Metaxenia occurs only in maternal tissues and is triggered by hormones produced by the embryo and endosperm after double fertilization. Examples of xenia and metaxenia include maize and date palm. Their function is to identify the best pollinizer parents to decrease fruit development period and increase yield in mixed cultivar plantings.

Both terms are based on the Greek root xenos, meaning “a foreigner or guest”, and the prefix meta-, meaning “beyond, behind, or after”. Wilhelm Focke defined xenia in 1881, while Swingle gave the term metaxenia in 1928. Xenia and metaxenia effects are shown by angiosperms.