1. A mineral concretion or deposit of calcium carbonate found in the cells of certain plants, particularly in the leaves of nettles and fig trees.
Usage: botanical term; also called a cystolite

Examples

• The nettle leaf contains cystoliths that can irritate the skin.
• Botanists examine cystoliths under a microscope to identify plant species.
• Cystoliths are composed primarily of calcium carbonate crystals.
• The presence of cystoliths in fig leaves is a distinctive botanical feature.
• Plant cells in certain species accumulate cystoliths as a natural process.