Sessile

Sessile is a term in biology with two distinct meanings:

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In botany

In botany, sessile means "without a stalk", as in flowers (pedicel) or leaves (petiole) that grow directly from the stem or Peduncle; however, in limnology, sessile vegetation are any organisms anchored to the benthic environment.

In zoology

In zoology, sessile animals are those which are not able to move about. They are usually permanently attached to a solid substrate of some kind, such as a rock, or the hull of a ship in the case of barnacles. Corals lay down their own substrate.

Sessile animals typically have a motile phase in their development. Sponges have a motile larval stage, which becomes sessile at maturity. In contrast, many jellyfish develop as sessile polyps early in their life cycle. Many sessile animals, including sponges, corals, and hydra, are capable of asexual reproduction in situ by a process of budding.

Clumping is a behavior in an animal, usually sessile, in which individuals of a particular species group close to one another for beneficial purposes.

See also

• Sessile oak