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phyllotaxis

American  
[fil-uh-tak-sis] / ˌfɪl əˈtæk sɪs /

noun

Botany.

plural

phyllotaxes
  1. phyllotaxy.


phyllotaxis British  
/ ˌfɪləˈtæksɪs /

noun

  1. the arrangement of the leaves on a stem

  2. the study of this arrangement in different plants

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • phyllotactic adjective

Etymology

Origin of phyllotaxis

First recorded in 1870–75; phyllo- + -taxis

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The former condition represents a lower, the latter condition represents a higher, order of phyllotaxis.

From The Genus Pinus by Shaw, George Russell

The law of phyllotaxis, which governs the evolution of leaves around the axis of a plant, is as nearly constant in its manifestation as any of the physical laws connected with the material world.

From Darwiniana; Essays and Reviews Pertaining to Darwinism by Gray, Asa

Four quadrangular scales in mutual contact represent the condition of definite phyllotaxis.

From The Genus Pinus by Shaw, George Russell

If the cone is conical, definite phyllotaxis would be possible among all the scales only when the size of the scales diminishes in equal measure with the gradual diminution of the cone's diameter.

From The Genus Pinus by Shaw, George Russell

Such are the majority of the scales of the cone and represent more or less indefinite conditions of phyllotaxis.

From The Genus Pinus by Shaw, George Russell