radicle
9.0
The first part of a seed that grows into the plant's main root
- noun
- /ˈrædɪkəl/
- Specialized
:
radícula
- The first root to grow from a seed is called the radicle.
Examples
-
During germination, the radicle develops into the primary root of the plant.
-
Seed was considered germinated when both plumule and radicle had grown about 10 mm long or 5 mm in length, respectively.
Academic text (2014) -
As the seed splits open, the radicle emerges to anchor the plant in the soil.
Surface Forms
Morphology
radicle = radic + icle
Although the sense is 'small root', the constituent 'radic-' and the diminutive '-icle' are Latin-derived and not transparently analyzable by typical learners.
Etymology
Radicle comes from the Latin radix 'root' and the ending -icle meaning 'little', so it means 'little root'. That's why the radicle is the first small root a seed sends out when it begins to grow.
