The portion of a plant embryo or seedling stem located above the cotyledons, which develops into the main shoot system of the plant. The epicotyl contains the shoot apical meristem and gives rise to the first true leaves.
From Greek 'epi' meaning 'above' or 'upon' and 'kotyledon' meaning 'seed leaf.' This anatomical term was developed alongside 'hypocotyl' to precisely describe different regions of the developing plant embryo and seedling.
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