geophyte

American  

[jee-uh-fahyt] / ˈdʒi əˌfaɪt /

noun

Botany.

1. a plant propagated by means of underground buds.

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geophyte British  

/ ˈdʒiːəʊˌfaɪt /

noun

1. a perennial plant that propagates by means of buds below the soil surface

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geophyte Scientific  

/ jē′ə-fīt′ /

1. A perennial plant with an underground food storage organ, such as a bulb, tuber, corm, or rhizome. The parts of the plant that grow above ground die away during adverse conditions, as in winter or during the dry season, and grow again from buds that are on or within the underground portion when conditions improve. Crocuses and tulips are geophytes.

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Other Word Forms

• geophytic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of geophyte

First recorded in 1895–1900; geo- + -phyte