pneumatophore

pneu·mat·o·phore  (n-mt-fôr, -fr, ny-, nm-t-, ny-)

n.

1. A gas-filled sac serving as a float in some colonial marine hydrozoans, such as the Portuguese man-of-war.

2. Botany A specialized respiratory root structure in certain aquatic plants, such as the bald cypress.

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pneumatophore [njuːˈmætəʊˌfɔː]

n

1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Botany) a specialized root of certain swamp plants, such as the mangrove, that branches upwards, rising above ground, and undergoes gaseous exchange with the atmosphere

2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Zoology) a polyp in coelenterates of the order Siphonophora, such as the Portuguese man-of-war, that is specialized as a float

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pneumatophore  (n-mt-fôr, nm-t-)

A specialized root that grows upwards out of the water or mud to reach the air and obtain oxygen for the root systems of trees that live in swampy or tidal habitats. The "knees" of mangroves and the bald cypress are pneumatophores. Also called air root.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

pneumatophore - an air-filled root (submerged or exposed) that can function as a respiratory organ of a marsh or swamp plant root - (botany) the usually underground organ that lacks buds or leaves or nodes; absorbs water and mineral salts; usually it anchors the plant to the ground