pubescent
Relating to or exhibiting the physical signs of puberty. / Covered with soft, downy hair or bristles, typically used in botany.
Adjective
This term carries a clinical, biological weight that removes the emotional or social baggage often found in words like adolescent or teenage. It focuses strictly on the physiological transition of the body rather than the psychological turmoil of growing up.
In a scientific or botanical context, it describes a specific texture of fine hair. While a person being pubescent is a temporary life stage, a pubescent leaf is a permanent structural characteristic of a species, creating a sharp divide between its human and biological applications.