GLOSSARY. 



407 



veloping the flowers in certain 

 monocotyledons. 



Spathulate, more or less rounded 

 towards the summit and narrowed 

 towards the base. 



Spike, an inflorescence similar to the 

 raceme, only that the flowers have 

 no pedicels ; also, those forms in 

 which spikeleta are arranged in 

 close and alternating series upon a 

 common rachis, as in some grasses. 



Spikelet, a small spike, of which 

 several, aggregated round a com- 

 mon axis, constitute a compound 

 spike ; more especially applied to 

 the spiked arrangements of two 

 or more flowers of grasses, which 

 are variously disposed round a 

 common axis. 



Spine, a stiff, sharp-pointed process, 

 containing some portions of woody 

 tissue, degenerated branch, leaf, 

 stipule, etc. 



Spinous, bearing or covered with 

 spines. 



Spongy, having the cellular tissue 

 copious, forming a sponge-like 

 mass. 



Spreading, having a gradual out- 

 ward tendency, or bending from 

 an axis. 



Spur, a tubular expansion of some 

 part of a flower. 



Spurred, having a spur. 



Stamen, that organ of the flower 

 which contains the pollen. 



Staminate, bearing stamens ; usually 

 applied to unisexual flowers. 



Standard, the dorsal petal in a pa- 

 pilionaceous flower. 



Stellate, disposed in a radiating 

 manner round a centre. 



Stigma, that portion of a pistil, 



generally its summit, by which the 

 fertilizing influence of the pollen 

 is conveyed to the ovules. 



Stigmatic, of or belonging to the 

 stigma. 



Sting, a sharp, somewhat stiff hair, 

 seated on a gland which secretes 

 an acrid fluid. 



Stipule, a foliaceous appendage, va- 

 rious in character, produced on 

 each side the base of certain pe- 

 tioles. 



Striated, marked with streaks or 

 little furrows. 



Style, the shaft which, in most 

 flowers, is interposed between the 

 stigma and ovary. 



Sub, in composition, somewhat ; im- 

 plying a near approach to the con- 

 dition indicated by the term with 

 which it is joined : thus, sub- 

 rotund is roundish, 



Subulate, awl-shaped. 



Succulent, having abundant cellular 

 tissue, replete with juices. 



Suckers, tubercular processes on the 

 stems of certain flowering para- 

 sites, by which they imbibe nou- 

 rishment from the plants to which 

 they attach themselves. 



Superior, placed above another or- 

 gan ; applied especially to indicate 

 the position of the ovary with 

 respect to the calyx. 



Sword-shaped, straight and flat, with 

 the point acute. 



Symmetrical, when the parts of 

 one series of organs agree with 

 those of another in number, as in 

 a flower which has five sepals, 

 five petals, five or ten stamens, etc. 



Syncarpous, bearing fruit composed 

 of cohering carpels. 



