Caulicule

/ˈkɔːlɪkjuːl/ noun

Definition

A very small stem or a stalk-like structure, essentially another term for caulicle used in botanical description.

Etymology

From Latin 'cauliculus', a diminutive of 'caulis' (stem), with variant spelling used interchangeably with 'caulicle'. The '-ule' suffix indicates even greater smallness.

Kelly Says

In botanical Latin, scientists had three ways to say 'small stem'—cauli, caulicle, and caulicule—showing how they loved precision enough to create multiple words for subtly different sizes.

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