Caudex

The caudex of a tree fern resembles the trunk of a woody plant, but has a different structure.

The caudex of Jatropha cathartica is pachycaul, with thickening that provides water storage.

Certain cacti can develop a caudex too; here Acanthocereus maculatus

A caudex (pl.: caudices) of a plant is a stem, but the term is also used to mean a rootstock and particularly a basal stem structure from which new growth arises.

In the strict sense of the term, meaning a stem, "caudex" is most often used with plants that have a different stem morphology from the typical angiosperm dicotyledon stem; examples include palms, ferns, and cycads. The largest of all caudices is that of the ombu (Phytolacca dioica) of the Pampas of South America, which can reach up to 14 metres girth.

The related term caudiciform, literally meaning stem-like, is sometimes used to mean pachycaul, thick-stemmed. Caudices should not be confused with lignotubers which can also be very large.

Etymology

The term derives from the Latin caudex, a noun meaning "tree trunk".

See also

• Stipe

External links

• Bihrmann's Caudiciforms Extensive listing of caudiciforms, images for most species
• Wayne's Word Archived 2009-03-19 at the Wayback Machine Caudiciform Plants With An Enlarged Caudex