leñosa

Leñosa is the feminine form of leñoso, an adjective in Spanish used to describe something that has the properties of wood or is made of wood. It denotes tissues, stems, or plants that are lignified and rigid, as opposed to herbaceous, which are soft and non-lignified. The word derives from leña (firewood) and shares its semantic field with madera and lignificación.

In botany and ecology, leñoso describes plants or plant parts that develop lignified tissues, such as tallos leñosos, ramas or troncos. It is commonly used to distinguish between species with woody growth and those with softer, herbaceous stems. Phrases like bosque leñoso or vegetación leñosa refer to plant communities dominated by woody species, typically trees and shrubs, rather than grasses or forbs.

In horticulture and forestry, the distinction between leñoso and herbáceo informs management practices, growth forecasts, and wood production. The term may also appear in anatomical descriptions to indicate lignified tissues, such as xylem, that contribute to the structural rigidity of a plant.

Notes on usage and regional variation: leñosa can have broader or more specific meanings depending on the regional or disciplinary context, ranging from a general descriptor of woodiness to a technical designation of certain woody characteristics.

See also: leño, madera, tallo leñoso, tejidos leñosos.