Produced or formed upon something else; in biology, describing structures that develop on the surface or exterior of an organism.
From Greek epi- (upon) + -genous (born/produced). The suffix -genous comes from genesis, meaning origin or birth.
In fungi and plants, epigenous structures like mushroom caps literally grow 'upon' the mycelium or stem—it's a helpful word that tells you something is building on top of something else!
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