caducous
/kəˈdjuːkəs
/adjective chiefly Botany
(Of an organ or part) easily detached and shed at an early stage: poppies have caducous sepals that are shed after the bud has opened...
- He states that the verification of the occurrence of bracteoles could be useful, because there is a tendency to use ‘absent’ for ‘caducous’, which could lead to erroneous conclusions.
- It had aseptate hyphae and sporangia were papillate, both caducous and non-caducous, and their shape ranged from ovoid to elongate and distorted.
- Reproduction and dispersion are doubtless accomplished by the caducous branchlets.
Origin
Late 17th century (in the sense 'epileptic'): from Latin caducus 'liable to fall' (from cadere 'to fall') + -ous.