peduncle

English

Agave, showing the giant peduncle of its inflorescence

Goose barnacles
(Lepas anatifera), hanging onto their substrate by their peduncles

Human brainstem showing some of the connecting bundles of neurons, structures known as peduncles

Etymology

From Late Latin pedunculus, from pedis, genitive of pēs (“foot”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɪˈdʌŋ.k(ə)l/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

peduncle (plural peduncles)

2. (botany) The stalk supporting an inflorescence or a solitary flower/fruit.
3. (botany) A short stalk at the base of a reproductive structure of a non-flowering plant.
   • 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page 5:

     On fertilization, the archegonia form obyriform calyptrae that are distinctly narrowed at base to form a stalk or peduncle; this does not occur in other Hepaticae.

4. (anatomy) A bundle of neurons connecting different parts of the brain.
5. (anatomy) In arthropods, the base segments of an antenna or stalk-like structures such as the peduncles of some barnacles
6. (anatomy) In vertebrates, the base of any relatively massive anatomical member connected to the body by a narrower section. Cf. caudal peduncle of fishes.
7. (anatomy) A stem attaching a mass of tissue (such as a polyp) to the body.
8. (zoology) A collection of nerves in the appendage of an animal (such as the tip of a dolphin's tail).

Related terms

• pedicel
• peduncular
• pedunculate

Translations

botany: axis or supporting stalk of inflorescence

• Arabic: سُوَيْق (suwayq), سُوَيْقَة (suwayqa), تَعْرِيجَة (taʕrīja)
• Breton: troadenn f
• Catalan: peduncle (ca) m
• Cebuano: pawod
• Esperanto: pedunklo
• Finnish: kukintoranka, kukkalapakko, lapakko (fi) (axis); kukkavarsi (supporting stalk)
• French: pédoncule (fr) m
• German: Stiel (de) m, Stielchen n
• Greek: κοτσάνι (el) n (kotsáni)
• Ido: pedunklo (io)
• Indonesian: pedunkel (id)
• Occitan: pecol (oc) m, pedoncul m
• Polish: szypuła f
• Spanish: pedúnculo (es) m
• Welsh: pedwncl m

botany: short stalk at the base of a leaf or reproductive structure

• Arabic: سُوَيْق (suwayq), سُوَيْقَة (suwayqa)
• Dutch: steel (nl) m
• Finnish: kanta (fi)
• German: Stiel (de) m, Stielchen n

bundle of neurons connecting parts of brain

• Arabic: سُوَيْق (suwayq), سُوَيْقَة (suwayqa)
• Catalan: peduncle (ca) m
• Finnish: hermosäiekimppu
• German: Hirnstiel m, Hirnschenkel m
• Hungarian: kocsány (hu)
• Spanish: pedúnculo (es) m

anatomy, arthropoda: base segments of an antenna or stalk-like structures

anatomy, vertebrates, base of any relatively massive anatomical member

• Finnish: varsi (fi)

anatomy: stem attaching a mass of tissue to the body

zoology: collection of nerves in the appendage of an animal

• Finnish: hermokimppu

Further reading

• Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “peduncle”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
• peduncle (botany) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• peduncle (anatomy) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia