caducous

Caducous is an adjective used in biology to describe structures that are shed or fall off early, soon after they have served their function. The term derives from Latin caducus, meaning falling or fallen, from cadere, to fall. In botany, caducous refers to plant parts that detach spontaneously well before the next stage of development. Common examples include caducous petals or sepals that wither and drop soon after flowering, or a calyx that detaches early. The concept is contrasted with persistent parts that remain attached through fruit development or ripening.

Beyond botany, caducous can describe temporary or transient structures in other organisms. In dentistry, caducous teeth has historically been used to refer to deciduous or “milk” teeth that are shed and replaced by permanent teeth. In zoological or broader biological contexts, the term may describe appendages, spines, or other structures that are shed during growth or metamorphosis as part of normal development (aided by abscission or moulting processes). While less common outside plant biology, such usage conveys the idea of precocious detachment.

Caducous is therefore a descriptive term signaling that a structure is not permanent and is expected to separate from the organism or plant relatively early in its life cycle or function. It is related to, but distinct from, concepts of deciduousness and abscission.