phanerophyte

noun

phan·er·o·phyte ˈfa-nə-rə-ˌfīt

fə-ˈner-ə-

: a perennial plant that bears its perennating buds well above the surface of the ground

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Danish fanerofyt, from Greek phanerós "visible, conspicuous" (from phan-, base of phaínomai, phaínesthai "to become visible, come to light, appear" + -eros, adjective suffix) + Danish -o- -o- + -fyt -phyte — more at fantasy entry 1

Note: The term was introduced by the Danish botanist Christen C. Raunkiær (1860-1938), in a presentation to the Botanical Society of Denmark on December 5, 1903, a resumé of which was published in Botanisk tidsskrift, bind 26 (1905), p. xiv.

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of phanerophyte was in 1907

See more words from the same year