noun
- a small stem or stalk, especially the embryonic stem of a plant or the stem of a seedling.
Usage: botanical term; also called a radicle in some contexts, though caulicle specifically refers to the stem portion
Examples
- The caulicle of the bean seedling emerged first from the soil.
- In plant embryology, the caulicle develops into the main stem of the mature plant.
- Botanists examined the caulicle under the microscope to study early growth patterns.
- The caulicle and radicle are the two main parts of a plant embryo.