apophysis

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

apophysis
    n 1: (botany) a natural swelling or enlargement: at the base of
         the stalk or seta in certain mosses or on the cone scale of
         certain conifers
    2: (anatomy) a natural outgrowth or projection on an organ or
       body part such as the process of a vertebra

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Apophysis \A*poph"y*sis\, n.; pl. {-ses}. [NL., fr. Gr. ?
   offshoot, process of a bone, fr. ? to grow from; ? from + ?,
   ?, to grow.]
   1. (Anat.) A marked prominence or process on any part of a
      bone.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Bot.) An enlargement at the top of a pedicel or stem, as
      seen in certain mosses. --Gray.
      [1913 Webster] Apoplectic