quillwort

1 9.9

A small plant that lives in lakes or marshes with straight grass-like leaves that look like quills

noun
/ˈkwɪlˌwɔrt/

Specialized

: cola de caballo

In wetlands across the region, the quillwort thrives, providing important ecological benefits to local ecosystems.

Examples

In the last few years, interest in the "quillwort" genus has led to investigations of other morphological features, including leaf anatomy, ligules, corm cross-sections and lobes, velum cover, and scales.

Blog text (27)
The quillwort is a unique plant found in marshes, characterized by its grass-like leaves that resemble quills.
Researchers have discovered several species of quillwort in North America, each displaying fascinating adaptations to aquatic habitats.

Synonyms

Isoetes

vsquillwort

Specialized

1 9.9

A small plant that grows in water or other wet places

is the common name for that group rather than the scientific genus

Compounds

quillwort family

Specialized

9.9

A group of small water plants like Isoetes that grow in ponds and marshes

Surface Forms

quillwort singular

quillworts plural

Morphology

quillwort = quill + wort (semi-transparent) = quill + wort

The compound 'quill' + 'wort' directly describes a plant with quill-like leaves, but 'wort' is archaic and may be unfamiliar to many learners, making the meaning only partially guessable.

Etymology

Quillwort comes from quill 'feather' or 'pen' and wort 'plant', so it names a plant with long, thin leaves like quills. That's why a quillwort is a small water or marsh plant with grass-like leaves that rise straight from the base.