Entyloma

/ˌɛn.tɪˈloʊ.mə/ noun

Definition

A fungal disease that affects plants, particularly grasses and cereals, causing dark lesions or smut on plant tissues.

Etymology

From Greek 'en-' (in) and 'tylos' (knot or swelling), combining to describe the swollen, diseased tissue characteristic of this fungal infection. The term was coined in mycology during the 19th century.

Kelly Says

Entyloma is one of those words that reveals how closely botanists had to study plant diseases—they literally named them based on what the infected tissue looked like under magnification, creating a visual language we still use today.

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