noun
- Plural of cystolith; mineral deposits or concretions, typically of calcium carbonate, found in the cells of certain plants.
Usage: botanical term; technical
Examples
- The leaves of the fig plant contain cystoliths that give them a rough texture.
- Cystoliths are commonly found in the epidermal cells of plants in the Moraceae family.
- Under a microscope, cystoliths appear as crystalline structures within plant cells.
- The presence of cystoliths can help botanists identify certain plant species.
- Some plants accumulate cystoliths as a form of mineral storage.