marcescent

American  

[mahr-ses-uhnt] / mɑrˈsɛs ənt /

adjective

Botany.

1. withering but not falling off, as a part of a plant.

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marcescent British  

/ mɑːˈsɛsənt /

adjective

1. (of the parts of certain plants) remaining attached to the plant when withered

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marcescent Scientific  

/ mär-sĕs′ənt /

1. Withering but not falling off, as a blossom that persists on a twig after flowering. Many oaks have marcescent foliage that stays on the tree through winter.

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Other Word Forms

• marcescence
  noun

Etymology

Origin of marcescent

1720–30; < Latin marcēscent-, stem of marcēscēns (present participle of marcēscere to wither, shrivel), equivalent to marc ( ēre ) to wither + -ēscent- -escent

Example Sentences

A bonus design tip for gardeners: A row of marcescent trees, although not technically evergreen, makes for an effective, nearly year-round screen.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 2, 2022

A corolla which is continuous with the axis and not articulated to it, as in campanula and heaths, may be persistent, and remain in a withered or marcescent state while the fruit is ripening.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 5 "Fleury, Claude" to "Foraker" by Various