Epiphylaxis
/ˌɛpɪˈfɪlæksɪs/noun
A botanical condition in which a leaf or other plant structure develops from the surface of another leaf.
Did you know?Epiphylaxis belongs to the botanical vocabulary built from Greek phýllon, “leaf,” the same root preserved in words such as chlorophyll and phyllotaxis.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰel-
“To swell, bloom, or sprout; a proposed ancestral root connected with plant growth and foliage terms.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
phýllon (φύλλον)
“Leaf.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
epí (ἐπί) + phýllon
“Upon or on a leaf.”
19th Century
Scientific English
epiphylaxis
“A botanical term for growth occurring on the surface of a leaf.”
Modern English
English
epiphylaxis
“A rare technical botanical term describing leaf-on-leaf or related growth.”
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