Geniculatus
/jeh-nik-yoo-LAH-tus/🏷️ Taxonomy●●● Advanced
Also known as: geniculata, geniculatum
A morphological epithet describing a stem with pronounced knee-like joints or bends — a geniculate (bent at the nodes) structure. Geniculate awns on grass seeds, or bent flowering stems, both receive this epithet. Appears as geniculatus (masculine), geniculata (feminine), or geniculatum (neuter).
Etymology
From Latin geniculatus, meaning "having little knees" or "jointed," from geniculum (a little knee, joint), diminutive of genu (knee).
Example
“Agrostis geniculata and Polypogon geniculatus have the characteristic bent, knee-jointed stems that give the species their epithet — joints so pronounced they look like tiny elbows in the stem.”