Cormophyta

/kɔːrˈmɒfɪtə/ noun

Definition

A taxonomic group (or informal category) of plants that have true stems, roots, and leaves—essentially all the complex plants we see on land.

Etymology

From corm (Greek 'kormos' meaning 'trunk' or 'stem') plus -phyta (Greek suffix meaning 'plants'), literally 'stem-plants.' Scientific classification term from the 19th century.

Kelly Says

When botanists first needed to distinguish between simple mosses and complex flowering plants, they called the complex ones Cormophyta—but modern DNA science has reorganized plant families so thoroughly that this old term is mostly retired from serious science now.

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