# serotinous

> English word · Adjective · IPA /sɪˈɹɒtɪnəs/

## Definitions
1. Synonym of serotine (“developing at a later time or later in a season, especially than is customary with allied species; specifically (botany), of a plant: flowering late in a season”).
2. Of conifer cones: requiring the heat of a wildfire to open, in order to disperse its seed.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Latin sērōtinus (“late (in ripening, etc.); relating to the evening”) (see further at serotine) + English -ous (suffix forming adjectives denoting pertinence or relation to something).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/serotinous