Definition

1. Noun:
   • A plant that grows from a corm: A cormous plant is a type of plant whose perennial, underground storage organ is a corm. A corm is a short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that stores nutrients to help the plant survive dormancy and regrow the following season.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Gladiolus and crocus are classic examples of cormous plants.
  • The botanist identified the specimen as a cormous plant due to the presence of a healthy corm at its base.

Advanced Usage

• In botanical classification: The term "cormous plant" is used to categorize plants based on their specific type of subterranean storage structure, distinguishing them from bulbous plants (which grow from bulbs) or tuberous plants (which grow from tubers).
  • The garden's spring display was organized by root structure, featuring a dedicated section for cormous plants.

Variants and Related Words

• Corm (n): The solid, bulb-like, underground stem base from which a cormous plant grows.
  • Each corm can produce a new cormous plant annually.
• Cormel (n): A small corm that develops around the base of a mature corm.
  • The gardener propagated the cormous plant by planting the cormels.

Synonyms

• Corm-forming plant: A plant that forms a corm.
• Geophyte (broader term): A general term for a plant with an underground storage organ, which includes cormous, bulbous, and tuberous plants.

Related Phrases

• To grow from a corm: This phrase describes the specific growth habit of a cormous plant.
  • This species is known to grow from a corm, making it a true cormous plant.

Noun

1. plant growing from a corm