The outer, harder layer of a pollen grain's wall, which is highly resistant to decay and often has distinctive patterns.
From Latin exō- or Greek exo- meaning 'outer,' combined with the suffix -ine indicating a substance or layer. The term was coined in botany during the 19th century to distinguish it from the inner intine layer.
Paleontologists absolutely love exine because it survives for millions of years in peat bogs and sediments—so the distinctive patterns on pollen grains become a fingerprint helping scientists reconstruct ancient climates and identify prehistoric plants!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.