Not having a central axis or stem; lacking a stele (the central vascular tissue in plants).
From Greek 'a-' meaning without, plus 'stele' meaning an upright slab or the central stem tissue of plants. The '-ic' suffix makes it an adjective describing the absence of this botanical structure.
Plant biologists use this term for plants that completely lack the internal 'plumbing' system that most plants rely on to transport water and nutrients, which is why such plants tend to be tiny and simple like mosses and liverworts.
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