pulvinus

American  

[puhl-vahy-nuhs] / pʌlˈvaɪ nəs /

noun

• pulvini
  plural

1. Botany. a cushionlike swelling at the base of a leaf or leaflet, at the point of junction with the axis.

2. Architecture. pulvinar.

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pulvinus British  

/ pʌlˈvaɪnəs /

noun

1. a swelling at the base of a leafstalk: changes in its turgor pressure cause changes in the position of the leaf

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pulvini
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of pulvinus

First recorded in 1855–60, pulvinus is from the Latin word pulvīnus cushion

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pulvinus pulvini

These movements, when a pulvinus is present, are often complicated by the rotation of the leaf or leaflet; and such rotation on a small scale occurs during ordinary circumnutation.

From The Power of Movement in Plants by Charles Darwin

The sinking movement is due to the downward curvature of the petiole, no part of which exhibits any structure like that of a pulvinus.

From The Power of Movement in Plants by Charles Darwin

The seat of both the twisting and bending movement is in the pulvinus of the sub-petioles.

From The Power of Movement in Plants by Charles Darwin

They are not provided with a pulvinus, but continue to grow for a long time.

From The Power of Movement in Plants by Charles Darwin

In these seedlings there could hardly be a doubt that the pulvinus was becoming rudimentary and tending to disappear; and this accounts for its great variability in structure and function.

From The Power of Movement in Plants by Charles Darwin

With Trifolium strictum the blades of the cotyledons rise at night by the aid of their pulvini; whilst the petiole of one cotyledon twists half-round at the same time, independently of its pulvinus.

From The Power of Movement in Plants by Charles Darwin

Oxalis corniculata: A and B the almost rudimentary pulvini of the cotyledons of two rather old seedlings, viewed as transparent objects.

From The Power of Movement in Plants by Charles Darwin

In the genus Lotus the basal stipule-like leaflets rise up vertically at night, and are provided with pulvini.

From The Power of Movement in Plants by Charles Darwin

"However, these trees have conscious control of their pulvini, whereas the Earth's plants don't, and so they can do a lot of things that Earth plants can't."

From The Venus Trap by Evelyn E. Smith

In the Leguminosae all the cotyledons which sleep, as far as we have seen, are provided with pulvini.

From The Power of Movement in Plants by Charles Darwin

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