rosettes

Rosette is a term for a circular or radiating pattern resembling a flower. It is used in botany, architecture, art, and medicine to describe a variety of forms that emphasize a central point from which elements spread outward.

In botany, a rosette refers to a growth habit where leaves radiate from a short stem at or near ground level. This basal arrangement is common in many herbaceous perennials and geophytes, including dandelions, lettuce, crocuses, and irises. Rosette leaves often persist for more than one season, helping protect the plant crown, conserve moisture, or improve light capture before vertical growth occurs.

In horticulture and ecology, rosettes can be temporary phases or enduring forms. Some species form a rosette early in life and later bolt to flower, while others maintain a rosette throughout their life cycle.

In decorative arts and architecture, a rosette is a circular, rose-like motif with radiating petals or lobes. It appears in carving, plasterwork, metalwork, tiling, and jewelry, serving as an ornamental symbol of life and beauty.

In pathology, rosettes describe tumor cell arrangements that form circular or radial patterns around a central space, such as Homer-Wright rosettes seen in certain neuroendocrine and neural tumors. The term also appears in plant pathology with rose rosette disease, a serious condition affecting roses caused by a viral-like agent transmitted by mites.