Ananthous

/ænˈænθəs/ adjective

Definition

Having no flowers; lacking flowers or being flowerless.

Etymology

From Greek 'an-' (without) + 'anthos' (flower) + '-ous' (full of, having). A direct Greek construction meaning 'without flower' applied to plants that never flower.

Kelly Says

Mosses and ferns are ananthous—they look green and plant-like but reproduce through spores instead of flowers, representing an ancient strategy that worked for hundreds of millions of years before flowers evolved!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.