acaulescent
adj.adj. describing a plant that has no visible stem. Instead of a stem, the plant grows directly from its base or from the ground.
adj. lacking a visible stem; having the leaves and flowers arise directly from the base of the plant or from the ground. Often used to describe plants that have a rosette growth habit.
The plant is acaulescent, with no visible stem.
Many desert plants are acaulescent to minimize water loss by reducing the surface area of their stems.
In certain high-altitude environments, the species becomes acaulescent, forming a tight rosette of leaves that protects the central bud from freezing temperatures.
From a- + caulescent.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Last updated June 4, 2026