coleoptile

coleoptile Definition

co·leop·tile (kō′lē äp′til, käl′ē-)

noun

the tubular protective sheath which surrounds the young shoot in the germinating grass seed

Etymology: ModL coleoptilum < Gr koleos, sheath + ptilon, feather, prob. < IE *pti-, var. of base *pet-: see feather

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