marcescent
Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
- adjective Withering but not falling off, as a blossom that persists on a twig after flowering.
Examples
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These brown and tan, dead-looking marcescent leaves cling to branches until newly emerging growth pushes them off in spring.
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I, with my tremulous legs and marcescent arms, still love the garden's lambent light.
Note
The word 'marcescent' comes from a Latin word meaning 'to wither'.