Glossary of Technical Terms 



Involucre. Whorl of green leaves or bracts 



below flower or flower cluster. 

 Leader. A terminal shoot or bud. 

 Lateral. On the side. 

 Lenticels. Corky slits or dots on bark for 



admission of air. 

 Liber. The inner, fibrous layer of bark. 

 Linear, Long and narrow, like a grass blade. 

 Membranaceous. Thin and pliable. 

 Monoecious. Bearing both staminate and 



pistillate flowers on one tree. 

 Monotyptc. Having but one representative. 



as the genus Cladrastis. 

 Nutlet. Small, hard seed case, as in haws. 

 Oblanceolate. Lance-shaped, but broadest 



toward apex. 

 Obovate. Ovate, with broadest part toward 



apex. 

 Obtuse. Blunt. 

 Osmosis. The passing of liquids and gases 



through cell walls and other continuous 



membranes. 

 Ovary. Base of pistil containing ovules. 



Becomes the seed vessel. 

 Ovule. A rudimentary seed. 

 Palmate. With leaflets all arising from the 



end of the petiole, as in the horse chestnut 



leaves- 

 Panicle. Spreading, conical flower cluster 



as in yellow-wood. 

 Parasite. Any organism that is supported 



and nourished by another one. 

 Pedicel. Secondary flower-stalks; branches 



of the peduncle. 

 Peduncle. Main flower-stalk. 

 Perfect. Having both stamens and pistils, 



as the flowers of apple and magnolia. 

 Pericarp. The matured ovary. 

 Persistent. Remaining longer than ordinary. 



Evergreen. 

 Petiolale. Provided with a petiole. 

 Petiole. Stem of a leaf. 

 Pinnate. Feather-like. With leaflets along 



sides of main leaf-stalk, as in ash and 



walnut leaves. 

 Pistil. Central, seed-producing part of the 



flower, consisting of ovary, style and 



stigma. 

 Pistillate. Having pistils. 

 Pollen. The fertilising dust formed in the 



anther. 

 Polygamous. Bearing (i) staminate, (2) 



pistillate, and (3) perfect flowers on the 



same tree, as in hackberry. 

 Pome. Fleshy fruit with a core. 

 Procumbent. Sprawling. 

 Pubescent. Covered with fine, short hairs. 

 Raceme. Loose flower cluster with flowers 



arranged on short pedicels along peduncle, 



as wild black cherry. 



Receptacle. Base to which parts of the flower 



are attached. 

 Resin. Viscid exudation of the wood of 



conifers. 

 Rhombic. Diamond-shaped. 

 Rosin. Hard, brittle substance left after 



distilling turpentine from the resin of cer- 

 tain pines. 

 Rufous. Red or tawny. 

 Samara. Key fruit; a winged seed case, as 



of elm, ash and maple. 

 Sapling. Any young tree. 

 Sapzvood. The living wood near the bark. 

 Scion {Cton). The budded twig that is set 



in the stock in grafting. 

 Seedling. A tree that has come from a 



seed. 

 Serrate. Saw-toothed. 

 Sessile. Without a stalk. 

 Simple. Of one part, as the pistils and leaves 



of elms and cherries. 

 Sinuate. Winding. 

 Sinus. Bay between lobes, as in black oak 



leaf. 

 Slash. Branches and defective material 



discarded in lumbering. 

 Species. Subdivision of a genus. 

 Spike. Pencil-like receptacle crowded with 



small flowers. 

 Stamen. Pollen-producing organ of the 



flower, consisting of filament and anther. 

 Staminate. Having stamens. 

 Stellate. Star-shaped in branching. 

 Stigma, The tip of the pistil which receives 



the pollen. 

 Stipule. Leaf-like growth, at base of 



petiole. 

 Stomates. 



leaves. 

 Stratified. Spread out in layers, alternating 



with sand and gravel. 

 Strobile. A cone. 

 Style. Slender part of pistil between stigma 



and ovary. 

 Subterminal. Near the tip. 

 Sucker. Sprout from root or stub of 



branch. 

 Suture. A seam where parts are united 



until maturity. See burs of chestnut and 



beech. 

 Symmetrical. Well proportioned. 

 Terete. Cylindrical. 

 Tomentose. Velvety. 

 Umbel. Flat flower cluster in which many 



pedicels rise from the end of the 



peduncle. 

 Unisexual, Lacking either pistils or sta- 

 mens. 

 Valves. Divisions, as of a pod or husk. 

 Variety. Subdivision of a species. 



Breathing holes on under side of 



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