noun
- Plural of laticifer; specialized plant cells or tubes that contain and transport latex (a milky fluid) throughout the plant.
Usage: botanical term; technical
Examples
- The rubber tree's laticifers produce the latex used in commercial rubber production.
- Laticifers in dandelion stems contain a bitter white sap.
- Scientists study laticifers to understand how plants distribute nutrients and defensive compounds.
- The milky sap visible when you break a fig stem comes from its laticifers.
- Laticifers are found in many plant families, including Euphorbiaceae and Apocynaceae.