saxicolous

adjective

sax·​ic·​o·​lous sak-ˈsi-kə-ləs 

: inhabiting or growing among rocks

saxicolous lichens

Did you know?

Saxicolous. It's not a word that exactly rolls off the tongue, but it's a useful designation for botanists. The word is from Latin, naturally. "Saxum" is Latin for rock, and "colous" (meaning "living or growing in or on") traces back to Latin -cola meaning "inhabitant." Other "colous" offspring include "arenicolous" ("living, burrowing, or growing in sand"), "cavernicolous" ("inhabiting caves"), and "nidicolous" ("living in a nest" or "sharing the nest of another kind of animal"). All of these words were coined in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to describe the flora and fauna of our world.

Examples of saxicolous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Where rolling stones gain no saxicolous moss. —Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Latin saxum rock (akin to Latin secare to cut) + English -colous — more at saw

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

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