noun
- A mineral concretion or deposit of calcium carbonate found in the cells of certain plants, particularly in the leaves of nettles and fig trees.
Usage: botanical term; also called a cystolite
Examples
- The nettle leaf contains cystoliths that can irritate the skin.
- Botanists examine cystoliths under a microscope to identify plant species.
- Cystoliths are composed primarily of calcium carbonate crystals.
- The presence of cystoliths in fig leaves is a distinctive botanical feature.
- Plant cells in certain species accumulate cystoliths as a natural process.