thal·lus (th l  s)n. pl. thal·li (th l ) or thal·lus·es A plant body undifferentiated into stem, root, or leaf. [Latin, green stalk, from Greek thallos, from thallein, to sprout.] |
thallus [ˈθæləs]
n pl thalli [ˈθælaɪ], thalluses
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biology) the undifferentiated vegetative body of algae, fungi, and lichens
[from Latin, from Greek thallos green shoot, from thallein to bloom]
thalloid adj
| thallus (thls) Plural thalli (th l) A type of body found among plants and fungi that is not differentiated into roots, stems, or leaves. Thalli are found among lichens, mosses, liverworts, and many algae, as well as the gametophyte generations of horsetails and ferns, which have rhizoids but not true roots. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  thallus - a plant body without true stems or roots or leaves or vascular system; characteristic of the thallophytescrustose thallus - thin crusty lichen thallus; adheres closely to or is embedded in the surface on which it grows plant part, plant structure - any part of a plant or fungus |
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