acalycal
adj. C2 Proficiency aca·ly·cal
adj. describing a flower that does not have a calyx. The calyx is the outer ring of leaves at the base of a flower.
adj. lacking a calyx; used to describe flowers that do not possess the outermost whorl of floral leaves.
The acalycal flower lacks the outer green petals.
In some species of orchids, the flower is acalycal, meaning the calyx is either fused with the petals or completely absent.
The study of acalycal structures in certain parasitic plants reveals how these organisms have evolved to minimize their reliance on traditional floral anatomy for reproduction.