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Glite Dictionary
😴 Summer dormancy 🌸 Bud arrangement
estivation

estivation

9.9
The way a flower's petals and sepals are arranged in a bud before it opens
  • noun
  • /ˌɛstəˈveɪʃən/
  • Specialized
: estivación
  • The estivation of the rose petals is easily observed in unopened buds.

Examples

  • Spiral estivation can be seen in certain tropical flowers.

  • During estivation, the petals are tightly arranged.

  • Botanists study the pattern of estivation to classify different species of plants.

  • The estivation of the flower is crucial for its development.

  • Botanists study the pattern of estivation to classify different species of plants.

  • The estivation of the rose petals is easily observed in unopened buds.

  • Spiral estivation can be seen in certain tropical flowers.

Surface Forms

estivation singular
estivations plural

Morphology

estivation = estiv (opaque) = estiv + ation

The base 'estiv' is not a standalone English word and its meaning is not transparent to most learners.

Etymology

Estivation comes from the Latin root aestiv- (from aestas) meaning 'summer', and in botany it names the way a flower's sepals and petals are folded and lie together inside a bud. So, imagine the petals 'resting' or packed tight until the flower opens, which is why estivation describes that arrangement.