hypocotyl

American  

[hahy-puh-kot-l] / ˌhaɪ pəˈkɒt l /

noun

Botany.

1. the part of a plant embryo directly below the cotyledons, forming a connection with the radicle.

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hypocotyl British  

/ ˌhaɪpəˈkɒtɪl /

noun

1. the part of an embryo plant between the cotyledons and the radicle

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hypocotyl Scientific  

/ hī′pə-kŏt′l /

1. The part of a plant embryo or seedling that lies between the radicle and the cotyledons. Upon germination, the hypocotyl pushes the cotyledons above the ground to develop. It eventually becomes part of the plant stem. Most seed-bearing plants have hypocotyls, but the grasses have different, specialized structures.

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Other Word Forms

• hypocotylous
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of hypocotyl

First recorded in 1875–80; hypo- + cotyl(edon)

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hypocotyl

Botanists have discovered that money is not only the root of all evil, but also its hypocotyl, petiole and axillary bud.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 17, 2022

The almost cylindrical hypocotyl, now bearing a minute spinous bud on its summit, was only .45 of an inch in height, and .19 in diameter.

From The Power of Movement in Plants by Charles Darwin

The embryo of Gnetum forms an out-growth from the hypocotyl, which serves as a feeder and draws nourishment from the prothallus.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 7 "Gyantse" to "Hallel" by Various

This is the epicotyl, and another growing tip pointed toward the lower end of the kernel; this is the hypocotyl or the part which penetrates the soil and forms roots.

From The First Book of Farming by Charles Landon Goodrich

The movement at right angles to the above lines was due to the arched hypocotyl becoming more arched as it increased in height.

From The Power of Movement in Plants by Charles Darwin