polypetalous

American  

[pol-ee-pet-l-uhs] / ˌpɒl iˈpɛt l əs /

adjective

Botany.

1. having a corolla of separate petals.

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polypetalous British  

/ ˌpɒlɪˈpɛtələs /

adjective

1. (of flowers) having many distinct or separate petals Compare gamopetalous

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Other Word Forms

• polypetaly noun

Etymology

Origin of polypetalous

First recorded in 1695–1705; poly- + petalous

Example Sentences

Corolla monopetalous, rarely polypetalous, hypogynous.—Shrubs or small trees.

From The Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States Including the District East of the Mississippi and North of North Carolina and Tennessee by Gray, Asa

Semper vivum, sem′pėr vī′vum, n. a genus of polypetalous plants, including the house-leek.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various

This is polypetalous, except that two of the petals cohere, usually but slightly.

From The Elements of Botany For Beginners and For Schools by Gray, Asa

Sapōnā′ria, a genus of polypetalous plants, including the soapwort.—adj.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various

In the case of polypetalous, or rather dialypetalous flowers, the petals may be very largely increased by multiplication, as in roses, anemones, pinks, &c.

From Vegetable Teratology An Account of the Principal Deviations from the Usual Construction of Plants by Masters, Maxwell T.