procumbent
/prə(ʊ)ˈkʌmb(ə)nt
/adjective Botany
(Of a plant or stem) growing along the ground without throwing out roots: some forms have long procumbent branches...
- Finally, this work represents part of a long-term research effort in which mechanical architectures are being investigated in terms of the evolution of architectures of trees, shrubs, lianas and procumbent growth forms.
- Species of Cylindropuntia and Opuntia cactus have a wide range of morphologies from tall, tree-like forms to procumbent forms.
- One example is procumbent rosemary, used extensively as a ground cover and sheared several times a year.
Origin
Mid 17th century: from Latin procumbent- 'falling forwards', from the verb procumbere, from pro- 'forwards, down' + a verb related to cubare 'to lie'.