EXPLANATION OF BOTANICAL TERMS USED IN FLORA'S DICTIONARY. 



Jlculcus, prickly, sharp-pointed projections from the bark, as 

 in the rose. A thorn or spine, is a sharp-pointed 

 projection growing from the woody substance of a 

 plant, as in hawthorn. 



Acuminate, pointed, having a taper, or awl-shaped extremity. 



Amentum, see Catkin. 



Articulate, jointed; where one leaf grows out of the top of 

 another; or the jointed culm or straw of grasses. 



Jlwl-shaped, see Subulate. 



Awn, the sharp points or beards issuing from the glume, are 

 called awns, or aristse, as in bearded wheat. 



Axillary, when the flower-stalk grows between the leaf and 

 the stem. 



Banner, see Standard. 



Binate, growing in pairs. 



Biternate, twice ternate, or doubly three-leafed. 



Bracteated, (L. bractea,) a floral leaf, differing from the 

 other leaves in shape and colour, generally situated on 

 the peduncle, so near the corolla, as easily to be mis- 

 taken for the calyx. 



Caducous, falling early. A caducous calyx falls before the 

 corolla is well unfolded, as in the poppy. Caducous 

 leaves, fall before the end of the summer. 



Campanulate, in the form of a bell. 



Canaliculate, channeled, having a deep furrow or channel; 

 applied to the stem, leaf, or petiole of plants, some- 

 times to the calyx. 



Capitate, growing in a head, applied to a flower, or stigma. 



Capsule, the seed-vessel of a plant; a dry membranaceous 

 hollow pericarp. 



Catkin, (or Amentum, L. a thong, or strap,) is a composi- 

 tion of flowers and chaff", on a long, slender thread- 

 shaped receptacle; the whole somewhat resembling a 

 cat's tail in shape, as in the willow. 



Ciliate, fringed with parallel hairs. 



Claw, the narrow part of the petal below, by which it is in- 

 serted or attached. 



Compound flower, a flower of the class syngenesia, consist- 

 ing of florets with united anthers. 



Cone, a scaly fruit like that of the pine. See Strobiks. 



Connate, opposite, with the bases united, or growing into 

 one; as in the upper leaves of honeysuckle. 



Coriaceous, (from corium, leather,) stiff, like leather, or 

 parchment. 



Corollule, one of the partial flowers which make a compound 

 one; the floret in an aggregate flower. 



Corymb, (corymbus, L. a top, head, or cluster,) a kind of 

 spike, in which the partial-stalks are gradually longer 

 as they stand lower on the common stalk, so that all 

 the flowers are nearly on a level. 



Cotyledon, (a hollow, or cavity.) In botany, the perishable 

 lobe of the seeds of plants. It involves, and nourishes 

 the embryo plant, and then perishes. Some seeds 

 have two lobes, others only one, and some none. 



Crenate, (scolloped,) when the teeth are rounded, and not 

 directed towards either end of the leaf, as in ground 

 Ivy. 



Cucullate, hooded or cowled; rolled or folded in; as in the 

 spathe of Arumtriphyllum, or Indian turnip. 



Culm, or straw, is the peculiar stem of grasses, rushes, etc. 



Cyme, has the general appearance of an umbel; as in umbel- 

 liferous plants, its common stalks, all spring from one 

 centre, but, differing from those plants, in having the 

 stalks variously and alternately subdivided, as in elder, 

 and guelder-rose. 



Deciduous, falling, not perennial, or permanent. A decidu- 

 ous leaf, falls in Autumn. A deciduous calyx, that 

 which falls after the coral opens. 



Decumbent, leaning upon the ground, the base only erect. 



Dejlexed, bending downward arch- wise. 



Dentate, toothed, notched, having points like teeth on the 

 margin of the leaf. 



Denticulate, minutely toothed. 



Depressed, where the radical leaves are pressed close into 

 the ground. 



Dichotomous, forked; dividing into two equal branches. 



Diaphanous, transparent, clear. 



Digitate, fingered, when several leaflets, or little leaves pro- 

 ceed from the summit of a common foot- stalk; or, a 

 leaf which branches into several distinct leaflets, like 

 fingers. 



Disk, the central part of a radiate compound flower. Or the 

 whole surface or top, in distinction from the edge. 



Divaricate, standing out wide. 



Dorsal, pertaining to the back, dorsal awn, etc. 



Drupe, (Drupa, Drupae,) a pulpy seed-vessel, consisting of a 

 hard nut or stone, encompassed by a soft pulpy sub- 

 stance, as the cherry, olive, etc. 



Emarginate, notched at the end; applied to the leaf, coral, 

 or stigma. 



Ensiform, see sword-shaped leaf. 



Entire. An entire leaf is without teeth or notches. An en- 

 tire stem, is one without branches. 



Fascicle, (a bundle,) a term applied to flowers on little foot- 

 stalks, variously inserted, and subdivided, collected 

 into a close bundle, level at the top, as in sweet-wil- 

 liam. 



Filiform, having the form of thread, o.r filament; of equal 

 thickness from top to bottom. 



Floral-leaf, see Bractea. 



Floret, a little flower; the separate little flower of an aggre- 

 gate flower. 



Floscule, a partial, or lesser floret of an aggregate flower. 



Gibbous, swelling on both sides, or on one 



Gland, Glandular, having excretory, or secretory ducts or 

 vessels. Abundant on the stalk, and other parts of 

 the Moss Rose, and constituting the most prominent 

 character of that flower. 



