| mucilage |
Sticky or jellylike, sugar-based substance, apparently involved in water storage |
| naked |
Lacking scales, bracts, hairs, wool, spines, or other appendages |
| naturalized |
Introduced from another area and becoming established enough to compete with the native vegetation |
| nectar |
Sugar solution produced as a reward for pollinating animals |
| nectar chamber |
Area of the flower in which nectar is produced and stored |
| nectary |
Specialized glandular structure, usually in the flower, that produces nectar |
| neotype |
A type specimen chosen later when no type was designated and when no specimens were cited in an originla description; compare lectotype |
| node |
The point on a stem where a leaf would be borne, with a bud in its axil |
| nomen nudum |
Abbreviation n. n. A title lacking valid description |
| ob- |
Prefix meaning inversely; e. g. obconical, a cone attached at the pointed end; oblaneolate, lance shaped but with the broader end distal to he point of attachment; oblong, rectangular and usually two to six times longer than broad; obovate, ovate but attached at the narrow end; obovoid, egg shaped but attached at the narrow end |
| oblique |
With the sides unrequal or slanting; asymmetrical |
| obtuse |
Blunt; forming an obtuse angle, often somewhat rounded rather than angular |
| opaque |
Not transparent; dull |
| orbicular |
Round; disk shaped, flat and circular in outline |
| outcross |
Fertilization between individuals not of the same genetic makeup |
| ovary |
Lower portion of the pistil or gynoecium that contains the ovules; it becomes the fruit following fertilization |
| ovate |
Egg shaped in outline but flattened, and if attached, at the broad end |
| ovoid |
Egg shaped and if attached, at the broad end |
| ovule |
Structure within the ovary that contains the egg; it becomes the seed following fertilization and development of the fruit |
| papillae |
Minute pimplelike or bristlelike structures, usually on the epidermis |
| pectinate |
Comblike, with projections like the teeth of a comb, radianting from along a straight line |
| pedant |
Hanging downward, nodding, pedulous |
| perianth |
Collective term for the calyx and corolla; the protective parts of a flower |
| perianth part or segment |
Any portion of the perianth; used when sepals and petals not readily distinguished from one another and may be scale-like, transitional, tepal-like, sepal-like, or petal-like, or transitional |
| pericarpel |
Structure consisting of the upper portion of the flower-bearing stem, the receptacle, and the lower portion of the pistil |
| persistent |
Remaining attached or in place; not deciduous |
| petal |
Sterile, often colored leaflike structure of the flower, collectively the corolla; compare sepal, tepal |
| pistil |
Female reproductive portion of the flower, consisting of ovary, style, and stigma; the gynoecium |
| plumose |
Feathery, describing a structure with fine hairs attached on the sides |
| podarium |
Tubercle; outgrowth of the stem surface |
| pollen, pollen grains |
Tiny, dust-like grains produced by the anther an containing the future sperm |
| pollination |
Transfer of pollen from flower to flower; compare hybrid, outcross, self-pollination |
| polyphyletic |
A group of organisms arising from more than one ancestral line, thus forming an unnatural group; compare monophyletic |
| -porate |
A pollen grain with the indicated number of pores or apertures |
| procumbent |
Prostrate or lying on the ground but not producing adventitious roots; compare creeping, decumbent |
| prostrate |
Creeping along and lying flat on the ground, often producing adventitious roots; compare decumbent, procumbent |
| pseudocephalium |
A lateral cephalium; a laterally extended zone of woolly or bristly areoles that produce flowers but in which the ribsare usually visible |
| pubescent |
Hairy or downy; with soft, fine hairs |
| pulp |
Soft, often juicy tissue within a fruit |
| radial spine |
One of the outermost spines of an areole, often radiating or appressed; compare central spine |
| receptacle |
Terminal portion of the flower stalk; from which arise the sterile and fertile flower parts |
| recurved |
Curved downward or backward |
| reflexed |
Bent or turned downward; compare deflexed |
| rhomboid |
Shaped like a rhombus, a paralellogram with no right angles and adjacent sides of unequal length |
| rib |
Usually a vertically arranged ridge on the stem, consisting of fused tubercles |
| rotate |
Spreading. wheel shaped, saucer shaped |
| rudimentary |
Not fully developed; a vestgial structure |
| s. a. |
Abbreviation for latin = sine anno; without declaration of the year |
| salverform |
Flower shape in which there is a norrow floral tube with perianth parts widely spreading at mor or less right angles to the tube |
| scale |
Thin, usually membranous structure; small, triangular leaf or bract |
| scrambling |
Clambering or spreading irregulary along the ground |
| secondary |
Describing a root developing from another root, a stem from another stem, but a minor spine in comparsion to a major spine |
| sect. |
Abbreviation for the taxanomic rank of section |
| seed |
Developing from a fertilized ovule, containig the embryo resulting from fertilization after pollination |
| segmented |
Divided into setions, such as the stem joints of a cactus of the subfamily Opuntioideae |
| self-pollination |
Pollination of a flower by its own pollen of that from a flower on the same plant of clone |
| sepal |
Sterile outer leaflike structure of the flower, collectively the calyx; compare petal, tepal |
| sessile |
Without a stalk |
| sheath |
Tubular cover |
| short shoot |
A long-lasting shoot apparently lacking internodes |
| shrub |
A woody perennial lacking a main stem or trunk, usually with several stems, rarely exceeding 5 m (16 ft) in hight |
| sinuate |
With a wavy margin; a margin winding strongly inward and outward |
| solitary |
Single; with a simple, undivided stem |
| species |
An individual or closelyrelated group of plants within a genus |
| spination |
Collective term referring of the spines of a plant |
| spine |
A modified leaf, usually a stiff, pointed structure arising from an areole; compare centarl spine, radial spine |
| ssp. |
Abbreviation for the taxanomic rank of subspecies |
| stamen |
Male reproductive structure of the flower, consisting of a filament an anther; the androecium |
| staminode |
Sterile stamen |
| stem segment |
A portion of a stem usually seperated by a constriction |
| stigma |
Terminal portion of the pistil recceives the pollen duringpollination |
| stomata |
Spezialized pores formed by guard cells and subsidiary cells; capable of opening and closing to control gas exchange necessary for photosynthesis |
| strophiole |
Corky appendage usually derived from the funiculus, covering part of all of the hilum; aspecialized aril; compare carnucle |
| style |
Usually elongate structure connecting the stigma and ovary, through which the pollen tube grows in transporting the sperm to the egg |
| sub- |
Prefix meaning nearly, less than, or somewhat, e. g. subapical, just beneath or below the stem tip |
| subg. |
Abbreviation for the taxanomic rank of subgenus |
| subsect. |
Abbreviation for the taxanomic rank of subsection |
| subsp. |
Abbreviation for the taxanomic rank of subspecies |
| succulent |
Describing a plant that stores water in enlarged, specialized spongy portions such as leaves, stems, or roots |
| sympatic |
Describing an overlap in geographic distribution of two or more taxa |
| synonym |
A sientific name that has been superseded by a different nam because of change in the circumscription of a taxon as a result of botanical study |
| taproot |
Large, usually solitary carrotlike root, usually vertical oriented in the soil |
| taxon |
(plural, taxa) A natural group of organisms at any rank in the taxanomic hierarchy |
| tepal |
Sterile leaflike structure of the flower when the perianth parts are not differentiated into sepals and petals |
| terminal |
At the distal end of an organ |
| testa |
Seed coat |
| thorn |
Pointed branch; compare spine |
| translucent |
Nearly transparent but not clearly so |
| transverse |
Across; running at right angles to the major axis |
| trichome |
Hairlike outgrowth of the epidermis; may be one-celled, multicellular, or glandular |
| tuber |
Fleshy underground portion of a stem |
| tuberous |
Like a tubar, sometimes used to describe fleshy roots |
| tubercle |
A conical or cylindrical outgrowth or protuberance from the stem, usually bearing all or part of the areole; podarium |
| tuberculate |
With tubercles |
| tubular |
Hollow and cylindrical; shaped like a tube |
| type |
A specimen with which a scientific name is always to be associated or, for a genus, the species upon which the genus is based; see also lectotype, neotype |
| undulate |
With an irregilar, wavy margin |
| valid |
A name published in accordance with the rules of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature; compare invalid |
| var. |
Abbreviation for the taxanomic rank of variety |
| x |
Multiplication sign, indicating hybridity; e. g. , Echinocereus xroetteri is a naturally occurring hybrid, E. coccineus x E. dasyacanthus |
