Spadices

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A cluster of flowers, particularly of certain plants, borne on a single axis and often surrounded by a protective bract
2. A form of inflorescence in which small flowers are densely packed along an elongate stem, typically enclosed in a specialized leaf
3. An arrangement of flowering structures that manifests in the form of a thickened, spike-like stem, often found in tropical species

Etymology: "Spadices" is the plural of "spadix," a botanical term for a dense spike of tiny flowers, often enclosed in a large leaf-like sheath called a spathe, as in arums and palms. The singular has a striking origin: it comes via Latin "spādīx" from Ancient Greek "spā́dīx," which meant "palm branch," and the word's first sense was simply the frond of a palm tree, with the flowers as the object of attention only later. The plural "spadices" keeps the Latin ending, which is why it sounds more formal than an English plural would. Botanists still follow this classical pattern, so a plant with several flower spikes has its "spadices" in the same way a museum might display several "specimens" rather than several "specimens" in English style.