STIPE, noun [Latin ; Gr., a stake.] In botany, the base of a frond; or a species of stem passing into leaves, or not distinct from the leaf. The stem of a fungus is also called stipe The word is also used for the filament or slender stalk which supports the pappus or down, and connects it with the seed.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI