Stipule
/ˈstɪp.juːl/noun
A small leaf-like appendage at the base of a leaf stalk in many plants.
Did you know?Stipule comes from Latin *stipula*, meaning “straw” or “stalk,” because early botanists saw these little appendages as thin, straw-like extras attached to the leaf.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*steip-
“to be stiff, rigid”
Latin
Latin
stipula
“straw, stalk, stem”
Late Latin
Latin
stipula
“a small stalk-like appendage”
Middle French
Old French
stipule
“stipule, a botanical appendage”
Modern English
English
stipule
“a small leaf-like appendage at the base of a leaf stalk”