Definition of incubous in US English:

adjective

• (of a liverwort) having leaves which point forward so that their upper edges overlap the lower edges of the leaves above.

  Often contrasted with succubous

  Example sentences

  • ‘Leaf overlap in a lateral row of leaves is either succubous (bottom of upper leaf overlaps top of lower leaf) or incubous (top of lower leaf overlap bottom of upper leaf).’
  • ‘Leaves may be transverse (with leaves coming off at right angles to the stem), incubous (the apex-facing edge of the leaf overlapping the base of the leaf above it), or succubous (the opex facing edge of the leaf overlapped by base of the leaf above it).’