n. The undifferentiated plant tissue from which new cells are formed, as that at the tip of a stem or root. [Greek meristos, divided (from merizein, to divide, from meris, division; see (s)mer-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots) + -em (as in XYLEM and PHLOEM).] mer′i·ste·matic (-stə-mătĭk) adj. mer′i·ste·mati·cal·ly adv. |
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