sclerotium

 
Pronunciation: /sklɪəˈrəʊtɪəm, sklə-/

noun (plural sclerotia /-tɪə/)

Botany
  • the hard dark resting body of certain fungi, consisting of a mass of hyphal threads, capable of remaining dormant for long periods.

Origin:

mid 19th century: modern Latin (former genus name), from Greek sklēros 'hard'