-ˌdenˈdrā(ˌ)lēz noun plural
Usage: capitalized
Etymology: New Latin, from Lepidodendron + -ales
: an order of arborescent fossil plants (class Lycopodineae) arising during the Lower Devonian, being a conspicuous floral element throughout the Carboniferous, and being characterized by dichotomous branching both in the formation of the crown and of the thick spreading rootlike supports — see lepidodendraceae