Pronunciation: (kô'deks), [key]
—pl. -di•cesPronunciation: (-du-sēz"), [key] -dex•es. Bot.
1. the main stem of a tree, esp. a palm or tree fern.
2. the woody or thickened persistent base of an herbaceous perennial.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.