caducus

Caducus is a Latin adjective meaning "falling off" or "deciduous." In scientific usage, the English derivative caducous is the more common form, applied to plant or animal parts that shed or drop away early in development or maturation. The root comes from the Latin cadere, to fall.

In botany, caducous describes organs that detach prematurely and are not retained on the plant, such as caducous petals or a caducous calyx. This contrasts with parts that persist through fruit development or until the plant’s maturity. The term appears in botanical Latin and in English floras and taxonomic descriptions as a descriptive qualifier rather than as a primary classification.

In zoology and anatomy, caducus or caducous is used less frequently. When encountered, it generally signals temporary or transient structures, but the more common vocabulary in these fields tends toward terms like deciduous, ephemeral, or temporary, depending on the context. The usage is more prevalent in historical or classical texts than in contemporary technical writing.

Etymology and related terms: caducus derives from the Latin cadere, to fall. Related English terms include caducity (the state of being caducous) and deciduous, a widely used synonym in modern botanical and ecological discussions. The root should not be confused with caduceus, the symbol associated with Hermes, which shares a distant linguistic origin but refers to a different concept.

See also: deciduous, caducity, botanical Latin terminology.