Epicalyxes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A series of leaf-like structures occurring at the base of certain flowers that serve to support or protect the developing flower organs
2. Structures resembling leaves that exist beneath the calyx in some flowering plants, providing additional support
3. Additional whorl of floral parts situated beneath the true calyx, often playing a role in the flower's overall morphology

Etymology: Epicalyxes is the plural of epicalyx, a botanical term for a ring of small leaf-like structures (bracts) that sits just beneath the true calyx of a flower, making it look as though the flower has a second set of sepals. The word is built from two Greek-derived parts: "epi-", meaning "upon" or "over", and "calyx", the outer whorl of a flower that protects the bud. The "calyx" element comes from Ancient Greek "kalyx", meaning a husk or the cup of a flower, while "epi" traces back through Ancient Greek "epí" to a very old Indo-European preposition meaning "on" or "over". The two were joined in English to name a structure that sits above the calyx, so the word is a plain compound rather than a term with a longer story behind it.