Adotterete

Adotterete is a rarely used term in botany and plant morphology. It designates plant organs whose cross-sectional shape is not strictly terete. Terete describes objects that are circular in cross-section and smoothly cylindrical. Adotterete, by contrast, has been applied to stems, leaves, or other organs that are flattened, angular, or otherwise non-cylindrical in cross-section, though the exact sense varies by author.

Etymology and scope: The word appears to be formed from a- (not) plus terete, suggesting a negation of a cylindrical cross-section. Because it is not standardized, its precise meaning can differ among sources. The term is not part of the core vocabulary of major floras or standard glossaries.

Usage and attestations: Adoption is sporadic. Adotterete is largely absent from widely used reference works, and when it occurs, it is typically in older taxonomic literature or in narrow descriptive treatments. Some authors may reinterpret or substitute adotterete with terms such as flattened, compressed, or angular cross-section. Therefore, it is advisable to rely on explicit cross-sectional descriptions rather than the label alone.

Examples and context: There are few contemporary, unambiguous examples. When encountered, adotterete is usually cited to underscore a departure from a purely cylindrical cross-section rather than to denote a specific, universally defined category.

See also: terete; cross-section; leaf morphology; plant anatomy. Adotterete remains an obscure term with limited standardized usage, and its interpretation can be inconsistent across sources.

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