tcm (r&d) : Glossary

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Glossary of Terms

A B C D E F G H I L M N O P R S T U V W
A
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Achene A small, dry fruit covered with a thin tight skin.
Acuminate Leaf-tip tapering to a point; usually with concave sides.
Acute Bearing a sharp tip.
Adpressed Lying flat or close to the stem, etc.
Adventitious Originating from other than the usual location.
Aerenchymous Composed of thin walled air-conducting tissue, with large intercellular spaces.
Allelopathic An effect whereby a plant species chemically antagonises others in its environment, in order to gain competitive advantage.
Alternate Opposite Sessile Succulent Terrestrial (in this case) Pairs of leaves successively at 90° to one another.
Amplexicaul A leaf-base clasping or embracing the stem.
Angiosperm A flowering, seed-bearing plant in which the ovules are enclosed within the ovary.
Annual Completing the entire life-cycle within one year.
Anther The pollen-bearing organ.
Axillary The upper angle between, e.g., a stem and a side-shoot.

B
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Biennial From germination, flowering and death in two years.
Bipinnate A leaf were both primary and secondary divisions are formed of lobes arranged as in a feather.
Bract A modified leaf protecting the inflorescence.

C
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Capitulum (pl.-a) A head of densely clustered stalkless flowers on a highly compressed axis. (In Ragwort, each apparently daisy-like flower is, in fact, 70 or more tiny flowers)
Carpel The unfertilised seed and its associated organs.
Ciliate Bearing a fringe of fine hairs.
Clone Genetically identical, asexually derived offspring.
Colloid A fluid substance where minute particles of one substance are dispersed, without settling, in another.
Connate Fused into a single structure at the base.
Cordate Heart-shaped.
Corymb A flat topped or convex flowerhead, opening from the outer flowers.
Crenate Scalloped, with shallow, rounded teeth.
Crown The base of an herbaceous plant where roots or rhizomes and aerial stems or resting buds meet.
Cuspidate Terminating abruptly into a sharp point.
Cyanobacterium Indicating the blue colour of these micro-organisms.
Cytogenetics The study of heredity and variation at cell nucleus level.
D
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Decumbent A stem lying horizontally but with the terminal shoot ascending and almost vertical.
Dehiscent Splitting along distinct lines to release seeds.
Denticulate Minutely toothed.
Dimorphic In two different forms or shapes.
Diploid Possessing two basic sets of chromosomes.
Distal The part furthest from the point of origin.
Dioecious Bearing male or female flowers on separate plants.

E
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Ecosystem The unit consisting of a community of living organisms and their environment.
Elliptic Tapered-oval. ellipse shaped.
Embryo The rudimentary plant within the seed.
Eutrophic Water with high levels of plant nutrients, sometimes due to human activity.
Evergreen Foliage remaining green for more than one growing season.
Exserted Obviously projecting beyond surrounding parts; stuck out
F
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Fern Green, non-flowering vascular plants, reproducing by vegetative or fertilized spores.
Floccose Bearing woolly hairs, which easily rub out.
Frond The leaf of a fern.
Fruit The fertilised and ripened ovary, with any attached structures.

G
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Gamete A fertile reproductive cell.
Gibberellic Acid A growth stimulating and dormancy breaking plant hormone.
Glabrous Smooth, hairless.
Gland A structure secreting substances, eg. oils.
Glaucous As if coated with a blue-green bloom.
Gymnospenn Conifers, Cycads and Ginkgo; seed-bearing plants in which the ovules are not enclosed in an ovary.

H
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Hardy Surviving frost in some or all of its parts.
Herb Any non woody plant.
Herbaceous Not having woody aerial parts persistent over the seasons.
Heterosporous Producing spores of both sexes.
Hexaploid Possessing six basic sets of chromosomes.
Hybrid A plant resulting from the cross-breeding of two genetically dissimilar parents.

I
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Imbricate In this case, with leaves closely overlapping
Indusium The epidermal covering or envelope of a sorus.
Inflorescence The arrangement of flowers and their associated parts.
Internode The portion of stem between two nodes.

L
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Lamina The blade of a leaf.
Lanceolate Lance-shaped, tapering to a spear-point.
Linear Slender, elongated, sides parallel.
Lobe Divided into (usually) rounded segments.

M
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Megasporangium The spore producing body, producing megaspores.
Megaspore The larger type of spore, bearing female gametes
Mericarp One of a pair of seeds which split apart at maturity.
Metabolism The chemical changes in the plant's cells, to provide energy for vital processes.
Microspore The smaller type of spore, bearing male gametes.
Monoecious Bearing both male and female flowers separately on the same plant, or having individual flowers bearing both male and female parts.
Mucilage A viscous, jelly like fluid.

N
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Node The point of attachment for leaves, stems, branches etc.

O
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Oblong At least twice as long as broad, with parallel sides.
Obovate Egg-shaped, with the small end towards the stem.
Opposite Two organs at a node on opposite sides of the stem or axis.
Ovary The protective envelope for the ovules.
Ovate Rounded at both ends; broadest below the middle.
Ovule The unfertilised seed.

P
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Panicle A branched flowerhead.
Papillose Covered with small soft protuberances.
Pappus A whorl or tuft of delicate bristles.
Pectinate Of many segments; like the teeth of a comb.
Pedicel The stalk supporting an individual flower.
Peduncle The stalk of a group of flowers.
Pendent Markedly down-hanging.
Perennial A plant lasting 3 or more seasonal cycles.
Petal An often brightly-coloured modified leaf, to attract pollinators.
Petiole The leaf stalk.
pH A measure of the alkalinity or acidity of a medium. Neutral is represented by 7; with lower figures indicating increased acidity and higher figures, increased alkalinity.
Phloem Complex vascular tissue involved in the-transport of nutrients throughout a plant.
Photosynthesis The manufacture, fuelled by solar energy, of complex organic molecules within the green tissues of plants, from the raw materials, carbon dioxide and water.
Phyllaries Bracts or modifed leaves, forming a collar behind a flower.
Pilose Covered with widespread, soft, tender hairs.
Pinnae A compound leaf of leaflets in 2 rows along the Rachis.
Pinnate A leaf divided into more than 3 lobes or leaflets, like a feather.
Pinnatifid Divided almost to the midrib in broad segments.
Pneumatophorc Air filled respiratory roots.
Primordium A tissue or plant organ in its earliest distinct state.
Pubescent Covered with short, fine, soft hairs.

R
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Raceme A group of flowers arranged along a single peduncle.
Rachis The extension of a leaf stalk into a compound leaf.
Ray-florets A single flower with a tubular petal, usually at the edge of a compound daisy flower.
Reflexed Bent backwards or downwards towards the stem.
Reniform Kidney-shaped.
Reticulate Netted with veins.
Rhizome A specialized underground or surface stem, capable of producing aerial parts along its length.
Rhizomatous Bearing specialised stems, rooting and shooting from the nodes.
Rosette Leaves radiating from a single crown, at ground level.
S
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Samara A one-seeded winged fruit.
Sepal A part of the outer flower-protecting structure.
Serrate Bearing a saw-toothed edge.
Sessile Stalkless or apparently so.
Sinus The space between two divisions; eg. lobes.
Sorus A cluster of sporangia, generally enclosed by an indusium.
Spathulate Hounded oblong, narrower at the base than the apex.
Stamen The male pollen-producing organ.
Standard The large, upright, uppermost petal.
Stigma The pollen accepting organ.
Stipule A leafy appendage at the base of a petiole.
Stratification Exposure of seeds to cold and heat as part of the dormancy requirement.
Style The elongated narrow structure supporting the pollen receptor.
Sub-glabrous Almost smooth and hairless.
Suborbicular Almost circular.
Subshrub A perennial with woody bases to soft stems.
Substrate Any material in which plants may be grown.
Succulent Thickly cellular and fleshy.
T
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Taxonomy The science of identifying, naming and classifying plants.
Terete Cylindrical, of smoothly circular cross section.
Terrestrial Growing in the soil, on land.
Trichome An unbranched hair-like outgrowth.
Trigonous Being a solid body of triangular section.
Truncate As if cut cleanly across, at right angles to the midrib.
U
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Umbel A flat flowerhead, with all the pedicels arising from the same point.
V
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Valve One of the parts into which a dehiscent fruit splits when mature
Vegetative Asexual reproduction, without seed formation.
W
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Whorl Where three or more organs are arranged around a node.