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.

---

hypocotyl British  

/ ˌhaɪpəˈkɒtɪl /

noun

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

---

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.

---

Other Word Forms

• hypocotylous
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of hypocotyl

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

Example Sentences

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 four corners at the center of the cut top then are turned slightly upward, to allow a small opening through which the hypocotyl of the developing seedling can emerge.

From Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Thirty-Seventh Annual Report Wooster, Ohio, September 3, 4, 5, 1946 by Northern Nut Growers Association

Thus with Cereus Landbeckii two little triangular projections, representing the cotyledons, are narrower than the hypocotyl, which is pear-shaped, with the point downwards.

From The Power of Movement in Plants by Darwin, Charles

The other hypocotyl continued to move in its former course, after being placed upright, for at least 37 m.

From The Power of Movement in Plants by Darwin, Charles

When they contain a large stock of nutriment they generally remain buried beneath the ground, owing to the small development of the hypocotyl; and thus they have a better chance of escaping destruction by animals.

From The Power of Movement in Plants by Darwin, Charles