gemma

[jem-uh]

noun, plural gem·mae [jem-ee] /ˈdʒɛm i/.

a bud.

Botany. a cell or cluster of cells, or a leaflike or budlike body, that separates from the parent plant to form a new organism, as in mosses and liverworts.

Nearby words

Origin of gemma

1760–70; < Latin: bud, gem

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for gemmae

The gemmae formed on submerged Mucors may bud like a yeast, and even bring about alcoholic fermentation in a saccharine solution.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3|Various
Erect branches may arise from the protonema, and gemmae may be developed on it.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
Usually the gemmae arise by the outgrowth of superficial cells, and become free by breaking away from their stalk.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various

British Dictionary definitions for gemmae

gemma

noun plural -mae (-miː)

a small asexual reproductive structure in liverworts, mosses, etc, that becomes detached from the parent and develops into a new individual

zoology another name for gemmule (def. 1)

Derived Formsgemmaceous (dʒɛˈmeɪʃəs), adjective

Word Origin for gemma

C18: from Latin: bud, gem

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Science definitions for gemmae

gemma

[jĕm′ə]

Plural gemmae (jĕm′ē′)

A budlike mass of undifferentiated tissue which serves as a means of vegetative reproduction among mosses and liverworts. The gemmae, often formed in structures called gemma cups, are usually dispersed from the parent plant by the splashing of raindrops, after which they develop into new individuals.