axopetal
|ax-o-pe-tal|
🇺🇸
/ækˈsoʊpɪtəl/
🇬🇧
/ækˈsəʊpɪtəl/
toward the axis
Etymology
'axopetal' originates from Modern Latin/botanical New Latin, specifically from the combining form 'ax(o)-' and Greek-derived element 'petal', where 'ax(o)-' came from Greek 'axōn' meaning 'axis' and 'petal' ultimately from Greek 'petalon' meaning 'leaf' or 'thin plate'.
'axopetal' developed in botanical Latin (19th–20th c.) from the combining form 'axo-' (from Greek 'axōn') + the element 'petal' (from Greek 'petalon'), and was borrowed intact into English botanical usage as 'axopetal'.
Initially used in scientific/botanical descriptions to denote parts pointing toward an axis, and it has retained that specialized meaning in modern botanical contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
directed toward or oriented to the axis (of a structure); used especially of petals or other floral parts that face or are arranged toward the central axis.
The axopetal orientation of the petals caused them to curl inward toward the flower's central stalk.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/06 15:22