cupule
/ˈkjuːpjuːl/
noun
- A small cup-shaped structure or part, especially in plants (such as the cup at the base of an acorn) or in some animals.
- Some mosses have a tiny cupule that holds reproductive cells.
- The acorn sits in a tough cupule that protects it as it grows.
- Botanists studied the cupule of the ancient seed to understand its evolution.