Definition of pneumatophore in English:
pneumatophore
noun ˈnjuːmətəfɔːˌn(y)o͞oˈmadəˌfôr
1Zoology
The gas-filled float of some colonial coelenterates, such as the Portuguese man-of-war.
Example sentencesExamples
- Some but not all float by means of a large pneumatophore, or gas bag.
- Some, but not all, float by means of a large pneumatophore.
- The Man-of-War floats on a gas-filled, blue to pink, translucent body called a pneumatophore.
2Botany
(in mangroves and other swamp plants) an aerial root specialized for gaseous exchange.
Example sentencesExamples
- Mangrove trees are adapted to these challenging conditions by producing shallow, horizontally oriented root systems with vertical, subaerial pneumatophores, which may stand up to 30 cm above water level in some species.
- The pneumatophores are erect side branches of the horizontal roots which grow just below the soil
- No understory or ground level vegetation was present except for the pneumatophores of the mangrove trees.