cataphyll
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
cata- + -phyll; intended as translation of German niederblatt, literally, “lower leaf”.[1]
Noun[edit]
cataphyll (plural cataphylls)
- (botany) A leaf, sometimes abortive, sometimes persistent, that does not develop into a photosynthetic structure, but instead fulfills protective or storage functions. Examples include cotyledons, bud-scales, glochids, rhizome-scales, and bulb-scales.
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
a leaf that fulfils protective or storage functions
References[edit]
- ^ “cataphyll”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.