Aecium (plural aecia) is a specialised reproductive structure found in some rusts and smuts which produces aeciospores. In some literature aecia are also referred to as "cluster cups".
An aecidium (plural aecidia) is an aecium in which the spores are always formed in chains and enclosed in a cup-shaped peridium.
All species in the genus Phragmidium have a caeoma which is a diffuse aecidium lacking a peridium.