spadix

noun

spa·​dix ˈspā-diks 

plural spadices ˈspā-də-ˌsēz 

: a floral spike with a fleshy or succulent axis usually enclosed in a spathe

Illustration of spadix

• 1 spadix

Examples of spadix in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The spathe is a curvaceous, hood-like, modified leaf or bract that attracts insects with its color and then traps them against the spadix, ensuring pollination. — Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 27 May 2026

What appears to be a single bloom is actually an enormous inflorescence, a cluster of many tiny flowers at the base of a tall central column called the spadix and surrounded by a deep purple, velvety spathe. — ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026

The actual flowers are contained on the spadix — a yellow spike shape. — Clarence Schmidt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026

The thermogenic organ itself is the spadix, the central spike inside the hooded spathe. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 19 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin spadic-, spadix, from Latin, frond torn from a palm tree, from Greek spadik-, spadix, from span to draw, pull

First Known Use

circa 1752, in the meaning defined above