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Procumbens

/proh-KUM-benz/
🏷️ Taxonomy●● Intermediate

A growth habit epithet describing a plant whose stems lie flat on the ground or trail along the surface without rooting at the nodes (unlike repens, which roots as it creeps). Procumbent plants often cascade attractively over walls or banks.

Etymology

From Latin procumbens, present participle of procumbere, meaning "to fall forward" or "to lie flat," from pro- (forward) + cumbere (to lie down).

Example

Juniperus procumbens (Japanese garden juniper) and Veronica prostrata, sometimes listed as procumbens, both hug the ground in the flat, spreading manner this epithet describes.