Definition
coontie
noun
- A tropical American cycad plant (Zamia pumila) with starchy roots used to make flour or starch.
Usage: Also spelled 'coonti' or 'coontee'; Native to Florida and the Caribbean; Botanical/regional term
Examples
- The coontie plant grows wild in Florida's sandy soils.
- Native Americans and early settlers extracted starch from coontie roots.
- Coontie flour was an important food source in the Caribbean.
- The coontie has distinctive feathery fronds and a thick underground stem.
- Botanists study coontie as an example of ancient cycad species.