hypostomatous
|hy-po-sto-ma-tous|
/ˌhaɪpəstəˈmeɪtəs/
stomata on lower surface only
Etymology
'hypostomatous' originates from Greek, specifically the prefix 'hypo-' and the word 'stoma' (genitive 'stomatos'), where 'hypo-' meant 'under' and 'stoma' meant 'mouth' or 'opening'.
'hypostomatous' was formed in modern botanical English by combining the Greek-derived prefix 'hypo-' with the adjective-forming element from 'stoma'/'stomatos' (via scientific Latin usage), producing a term used in 19th–20th century botany.
Initially the components literally meant 'under mouth', but in botanical usage this evolved to the specific sense 'having stomata on the lower surface' (i.e., 'pores on the underside').
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
having stomata (pores for gas exchange) located only on the lower (abaxial) surface of a leaf; used in botanical descriptions.
Most of the broad-leaved species in that region are hypostomatous, with stomata concentrated on the underside of the leaves.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/16 14:25