Nodosus
/noh-DOH-sus/🏷️ Taxonomy●● Intermediate
Also known as: nodosa, nodosum
A morphological epithet describing a stem with prominently swollen, knobbly nodes — joints in the stem that are significantly enlarged relative to the internodes. Nodose structures are often storage organs or the points of rooting in sprawling plants. Appears as nodosus (masculine), nodosa (feminine), or nodosum (neuter).
Etymology
From Latin nodosus, meaning "full of knots" or "knotty," from nodus (a knot, node).
Example
“Ranunculus nodosus and Oenanthe pimpinelloides have the swollen, knobbly stem nodes that make their stems feel like a string of beads — the knotted quality the epithet so precisely records.”