hoofdstam

Hoofdstam is a Dutch noun formed from hoofd (main) and stam (stem, trunk, or lineage). In botany and horticulture, the term refers to the main trunk or central stem of a plant or tree, from which branches arise. The hoofdstam provides the plant’s vertical framework and is a key focus of pruning and training in fruit cultivation, where growers strive to develop a strong, straight hoofdstam as the central leader. The condition and vigor of the hoofdstam influence the eventual size, structure, and productivity of the plant.

In genealogical or historical language, hoofd-stam can denote the principal line of descent—the direct lineage from an ancestor. In such uses, it functions as a metaphorical extension of the biological sense, in which the "main stem" connects generations. In practice, however, the term is more common in horticulture; scholarly and genealogical writing more often uses "hoofdlijn" or "stamlijn" to describe a direct line.

Orthography and usage notes: the compound is usually written as hoofdstam in contemporary Dutch. The term is primarily used in technical contexts by botanists, horticulturists, and, occasionally, genealogists.