188 GLOSSARY. 
Nerved. Usually applied to leaves or scales when the principal 
woody bundles in them are prominent and run from the base 
(palmately) and not from a midrib (pinnately): these are 
usually called veins in other cases, especially when they 
anastomose and from a fine network or reticulation. 
Neutral. Lacking both stamens and pistil (flowers of snowball). 
Nodding. Bending over: applied to the inflorescence and to 
flower stalks. 
Nodes. The points of the stem from which leaves come: these 
are alternate when solitary at a node; opposite when two 
come from a node; and whorled when several come from a 
node. Fascicled or clustered leaves (barberry) usually 
come from short axillary branches. 
Oblanceolate. Lanceolate, but with the greatest breadth above 
the middle. 
Oblique. Unequal-sided at base (leaves of elm or begonia). 
Obliquely opposite. Applied to opposite leaves when one of a 
pair stands more or less higher on the stem than the other. 
Oblong. Relatively longer and narrower than elliptical and with 
more parallel margins than lanceolate, and much broader 
than linear, as applied to leaves. ; 
Obovate. Inverted ovate, broadest above the middle. 
Obtuse. Blunt, in contrast with acute. 
Odd-pinnate. Pinnate with a terminal leaflet. 
Opposite. As applied to leaves, two at each node: the succes- 
sive pairs “decussate”, so that the leaves are in four ranks 
on the stem. Sometimes (buckthorn) the leaves of a pair 
are separated so as to appear alternate but in four ranks. 
Plants with whorled leaves (deutzia) frequently have them 
opposite as well. 
Order. A natural group of plants consisting of related genera. 
Ordinal names usually end in ales. 
Ovate. Like the longitudinal section of an egg, the greatest 
width below the middle, as applied to leaves. 
Ovoid. Egg-shaped, as applied to solid objects like fruits. 
Palmate. The same as digitate. 
Panicle. A compound or branched raceme. 
