stolon

noun

sto·​lon ˈstō-lən How to pronounce stolon (audio)
-ˌlän
1
a
: a horizontal branch from the base of a plant that produces new plants from buds at its tip or nodes (as in the strawberry)

called also runner

b
: a hypha (as of rhizopus) produced on the surface and connecting a group of conidiophores
2
: an extension of the body wall (as of a hydrozoan or bryozoan) that develops buds giving rise to new zooids which usually remain united by the stolon

Illustration of stolon

Illustration of stolon
  • S stolon 1a

Examples of stolon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The stolon’s own eyes, antennae, and swimming bristles also emerge. Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 8 Dec. 2023 Because of this consistency, the stolon does not have a separatedigestive tract. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 Nov. 2023 Each of the animal’s many terminal openings forms something called a stolon that grows eyes and a brain, reports Mindy Weisberger for Live Science. Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 May 2021 Warm-Season Grasses Bermudagrass has dark green pointed leaves and a vibrant root system of rhizomes and stolons that spread out both below and above the ground. Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 19 Apr. 2020 The former spreads by stolons, the latter is a more obedient clumper. Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2019 Adding too much nitrogen in the fertilizer, will make the plant produce leaves and stolons (runners with another plant on the end) and less flowers. oregonlive.com, 27 July 2019 Most mint plants spread rampantly, forming a thick mat of spreading stolons (creeping underground stems) just under the surface of the ground. The Editors, Good Housekeeping, 22 Aug. 2018 Turf like creeping bentgrass and Kentucky bluegrass produce rhizomes and stolons. OregonLive.com, 6 Mar. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stolon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin stolon-, stolo, from Latin, branch, sucker; akin to Old English stela stalk, Armenian stełn branch

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of stolon was in 1601

Dictionary Entries Near stolon

Cite this Entry

“Stolon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stolon. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stolon

noun
sto·​lon ˈstō-lən How to pronounce stolon (audio)
-ˌlän
: a horizontal branch from the base of a plant that produces new plants from buds at its tip or nodes (as in the strawberry)

called also runner

More from Merriam-Webster on stolon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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