Aecial is a botanical term that is used to describe the characteristic of certain types of fungi that produce cup-shaped structures containing spores. There are several synonyms for aecial, including "cluster-cup," "aecium," "marginal cup," or "peridium."
These terms are used interchangeably in the scientific community to describe the structures produced by fungi such as rust, smut, and certain types of parasitic fungi. Aecial structures are an important part of the fungal life cycle, as they produce spores that can be dispersed to infect other plants and continue the fungal growth. Understanding the different synonyms for aecial is important in order to properly identify and classify various fungal species in fields such as plant pathology or mycology.