Bot. [ad. mod. Bot. Lat. cormus (Willdenow c. 1800), a. Gr. κορμός, the trunk of a tree with the boughs lopped off, f. κείρ-ειν (ablaut stems κερ-, κορ-) to cut, poll, lop.]
A short fleshy rhizome, or bulb-like subterraneous stem of a monocotyledonous plant, producing from its upper surface leaves and buds, and from its lower, roots; also called solid bulb.
(By Asa Gray applied also to the rhizomes of dicotyledonous plants such as cyclamen; but this is not generally followed.)
1830. Lindley, Nat. Syst. Bot., 269. The fleshy cormus of some Cannas. Ibid. (1838), Gloss. Bot., Corm, a fleshy underground stem, having the appearance of a bulb, from which it is distinguished by not being scaly. Ibid. (1845), Sch. Bot., i. (1858), 2. What is named the root of a Crocus is a variety of the tuber, called a corm.
1880. Gray, Struct. Bot., iii. § 3. 61. A good type of corm is that of Cyclamen.
attrib. 1882. Garden, 28 Jan., 53/2. (Crocus) The corm tunic is the only permanent record of perennial existence, and even this in a living state lasts but a year.
