In message . com,
Hosley writes
Does anyone know how long the terms "caulescent" and "acaulescent"
have been in use, and if their is a reference I can point to where
they were first used? They refer to whether or not a plant has a
visible stem. For example, trees are considered caulescent because of
their prominent trunks, whereas some (but not all ) shrubs are
acaulescent, with their stems being underground.

Thanks,
Hos

The earliest example I found was (for caulescent) in Martyn's "The
Language of Botany", published in 1796. Given the context one presumes
that the term has a longer pedigree.

BTW, the terms apply to herbaceous plants as well as to woody plants.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley