tallo
/ˈtaʝo/masculine
The Spanish word for the botanical stem of a vascular plant is tallo.
In a botanical context, tallo refers to the above-ground stalk of a plant. If you are working in a scientific or technical capacity, you might instead use the term pedúnculo.
Meaning: botany: above-ground stalk of a vascular plant (noun)
Which one should you use?
pedúnculo is specifically used in scientific or technical contexts.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtaʝo/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word tallo can also refer to the 'stem' of a wine glass, though fuste is sometimes used for more formal descriptions.
- The Spanish word tallo shares its roots with the English word 'thallus', which is often used in biology to describe the body of algae or fungi.
- In the context of heraldry and family trees, the 'stem' or lineage is often referred to as estirpe rather than tallo.
Examples in context
- Los tallos de las rosas son verdes y flexibles.The stems of roses are green and flexible.
- El pedúnculo de la manzana es la parte que une la fruta al árbol.The stem of the apple is the part that connects the fruit to the tree.
- El tallo de la flor es verde.The stem of the flower is green.
- Corta el tallo de la planta.Cut the stem of the plant.
- El tallo es demasiado débil para sostener la hoja.The stem is too weak to hold the leaf.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are working together in a garden.
- AlejandroElena, ¿puedes sujetar este tallo?Elena, can you hold this stem?
- ElenaSí, Alejandro, lo tengo.Yes, Alejandro, I have it.
- AlejandroEl tallo es muy largo.The stem is very long.
- ElenaTen cuidado de no romperlo.Be careful not to break it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stem” translations and entries tallo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tallo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
