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Glite Dictionary
perigonal

perigonal

9.9
Relating to the leaf-like parts around a flower when petals and sepals look the same
  • adjective
  • /ˌpɛrɪˈɡoʊnəl/
  • Specialized
: perigonal
  • Certain monocots have perigonal leaves that are not differentiated into sepals and petals.

Examples

  • The scientist studied the perigonal structures of various lily species.

  • The flower's perigonal tube was particularly conspicuous under magnification.

  • The perigonal structure of the flower was fascinating.

  • Many species exhibit perigonal features.

  • Certain monocots have perigonal leaves that are not differentiated into sepals and petals.

  • The flower's perigonal tube was particularly conspicuous under magnification.

  • The scientist studied the perigonal structures of various lily species.

Surface Forms

perigonal positive

Morphology

perigonal = perigone (semi-transparent) = perigone + al

This is a regular adjective formed with -al from the specialized noun 'perigone', but the botanical base is uncommon, so the meaning is only partly transparent to most learners.

Etymology

Perigonal comes from the prefix peri- meaning 'around' and the ending -gonal, as in polygon ('many sides'). So perigonal describes parts of a flower that sit 'around' the centre, especially when they are not clearly sepals or petals.