Botryoid specifically refers to something having a shape that is reminiscent of grape clusters. It is used to describe items like sarcomas.

According to SOWPODS (the combination of Scrabble dictionaries used around the world) there are 1 words with the pattern B--R--ID. That is, eight letter words with 1st letter B and 4th letter R and 7th letter I and 8th letter D. In alphabetical order, they are:

botryoid

According to SOWPODS (the combination of Scrabble dictionaries used around the world) there are 2 words with the pattern B-TR-O--. That is, eight letter words with 1st letter B and 3rd letter T and 4th letter R and 6th letter O. In alphabetical order, they are:

botryoid

botryose

According to SOWPODS (the combination of Scrabble dictionaries used around the world) there are 1 words with the pattern BO-R-O-D. That is, eight letter words with 1st letter B and 2nd letter O and 4th letter R and 6th letter O and 8th letter D. In alphabetical order, they are:

botryoid

They develop strange, twisty shapes, grow horizontally, branch or otherwise behave weirdly. No-one is really sure how, and of various theories, some may apply to some helictites but not others!

I have seen one form, in one cave and one only as they are all unique, resembling something from a Mediaeval church. They were only about 20mm high, each consisting of a thin straight stem with a little cross-arm. The three tips each held a tiny, exquisite "botryoid" (a cauliflower-like formation) no more than 3mm across. Unfortunately none of us in out team photographed them.

I have also observed "outdoor" helictites - actually inside a building. These tiny examples are growing outwards from a ball-valve maintaining the level in a laboratory tank, and resemble little, pure-white whiskers up to 3mm long.