suffrutescent
- adjective
- /ˌsʌfruˈtɛsənt/
- Specialized
:
sufrutescente
- The suffrutescent herbs in this region survive harsh winters thanks to their woody bases.
Examples
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Unlike true herbs, suffrutescent plants retain a portion of their structure throughout the year.
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Botanists identified the shrub as suffrutescent, noting its perennial woody stem.
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The suffrutescent shrub thrives in arid conditions.
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Many suffrutescent plants can survive harsh winters.
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Botanists identified the shrub as suffrutescent, noting its perennial woody stem.
-
The suffrutescent herbs in this region survive harsh winters thanks to their woody bases.
-
Unlike true herbs, suffrutescent plants retain a portion of their structure throughout the year.
Synonyms
A plant with stems that are partly hard like wood and partly soft
How Woody
1
2.0
- Specialized
1
9.9
- Specialized
1
3.8
- Specialized
2
6.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
suffrutescent = frutescent (opaque) = sub + frutesc + ent
The word is a technical botanical formation built on an obscure classical stem, so its meaning is not readily recoverable from modern English component knowledge.
Etymology
The word suffrutescent comes from Latin parts sub- 'under' and frutex 'shrub', plus the ending -escent 'becoming'. So, a suffrutescent plant is 'partly shrubby' and keeps a woody base that does not die back each year.