osculant

(adjective)

adjective

1. Kissing; hence, touching or meeting; clinging.

2. (zoology) Adhering closely; applied to certain creeping animals, such as caterpillars.

3. (biology) Intermediate between two genera, groups, families, etc., and having some of the characteristics of each; interosculant.

- The genera by which two families approximate are called osculant genera.