Accrescent

/əˈkrɛsənt/ adjective

Definition

Growing, increasing, or tending to grow; in botany, continuing to grow after flowering and fruiting.

Etymology

From Latin 'accrescent-' (present participle of 'accrescere', to grow), the suffix '-ent' creates an adjective indicating ongoing action or tendency, similar to 'nascent' (being born) or 'senescent' (aging).

Kelly Says

Botanists use this word for plants that keep growing after they've already flowered and made seeds—like some cacti that produce new segments year after year, defying the expectation that growth stops when reproduction begins.

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