1. the part of a plant embryo or seedling that lies above the cotyledons and develops into the stem and leaves
Usage: botany; technical

Examples

• The epicotyl emerges from the soil first in some seedlings, pushing through the cotyledons.
• In bean plants, the epicotyl develops into the upper stem and true leaves.
• The epicotyl is the embryonic shoot located above the cotyledon attachment point.
• As the seedling grows, the epicotyl elongates and produces the plant's first true leaves.
• Botanists distinguish between the hypocotyl below and the epicotyl above the cotyledons.