Onychium
/əˈnɪk.i.əm/noun
A small lobe or appendage on a fern frond, especially at the base of a leaflet.
Did you know?Onychium comes from Greek onyx/onychos, the same root behind medical and anatomical words for nails and claws, because early botanists saw its little appendage as claw-like.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὄνυξ / ὄνυχος
“A nail, claw, or hoof-like point”
Late Latin
Latin
onychium
“A nail-like or claw-like thing”
18th-19th Century
New Latin
Onychium
“A botanical genus name based on the claw/nail shape of the plant part”
Modern English
English
onychium
“A small claw-like appendage on a fern frond”
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