Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of inflorescence: In botany, a spadix is a thick, fleshy spike of small flowers, typically enclosed by or associated with a large bract called a spathe. It is a characteristic feature of plants in the arum family (Araceae).

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The bright red spathe of the anthurium flower surrounds a pale yellow spadix.
  • Botanists study the spadix to understand the reproductive structures of aroid plants.

Advanced Usage

• The term is used almost exclusively in botanical contexts to describe a specific and specialized type of flowering structure.
• "Spadix bearing": Describing a plant that produces this type of inflorescence.
  • The titan arum is a famous spadix-bearing plant.

Variants and Related Words

• Spadices (n): The plural form of spadix.
  • The greenhouse contained several species with fascinating spadices.

Synonyms

• Fleshy spike: A descriptive synonym highlighting its physical form.
• Inflorescence: A broader term for a flower cluster; a spadix is a specific type of inflorescence.

Related Terms (Not Phrasal Verbs)

• Spathe (n): The large, often showy bract that frequently surrounds or accompanies a spadix.
  • The white spathe of the calla lily is more visually prominent than its spadix.

Noun

1. the fleshy axis of a spike often surrounded by a spathe