perfoliate

[ per-foh-lee-it, -eyt ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

, Botany.

having the stem apparently passing through the leaf, owing to congenital union of the basal edges of the leaf round the stem.

perfoliate

/ pəˈfəʊlɪɪt; -ˌeɪt /

adjective

(of a leaf) having a base that completely encloses the stem, so that the stem appears to pass through it

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Derived Forms

perˌfoliˈation, noun

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Other Words From

per·foli·ation noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of perfoliate¹

1540–50; < New Latin perfoliātus ( per-, foliate ), the feminine of which, perfoliāta, was formerly used as the name of a plant with a stalk that seemed to grow through (pierce) its leafage

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Word History and Origins

Origin of perfoliate¹

C17: from New Latin perfoliātus, from Latin per- through + folium leaf

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Example Sentences

A summer branch of Uvularia perfoliata; lower leaves perfoliate, upper cordate-clasping, uppermost simply sessile.

From Project Gutenberg

Connate-perfoliate, when a pair of leaves are connate round a stem, 60.

From Project Gutenberg

The former is usually confined to the small intestine, but the perfoliate worm often occupies the ccum and colon in great numbers.

From Project Gutenberg

perfing perfoliate bellwort

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