GLOSSARY 181 



Flower (Latin, flos, a flower or blossom). The reproductive organs, 

 i.e. the stamens and pistil of a plant, usually together with one 

 or more protective coverings. The simplest flowers consist of 

 stamens and pistil only. 



Fruit ( Latin, fructus, profit or produce, especially of land or trees). 

 The ripened ovary together with its seeds. Many things 

 commonly called vegetables are botanically fruits ; for example, 

 tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. 



Germination (Latin, germinatio, a sprouting forth, a budding). 

 The first stage of active growth of a seed. 



Host The plant which supplies "board and lodging" to a parasite. 



Humus (Latin, humus, earth, soil). Leaf mould. The substance 

 formed by the decay of vegetable matter. 



Internode (Latin, inter, between ; nodus, a knot or joint). The 

 portion of a stem between two joints. 



Larva (Latin, larva, a mask). The first stage of active life of an 

 insect. Insects in this stage are variously known as maggots, 

 caterpillars or grubs. The name was originally given because 

 the caterpillar was thought to hide or mask the future butterfly. 



Leguminosae. The Latin word legumen was originally applied to 

 pulse. Hence, the pod which contained the peas from which 

 the pulse was made, was called a legume, and the name Legu- 

 minosce given to all the plants which belong to the pod-bearing 

 order. In addition to the flower, the plants in this order are 

 characterised generally by divided leaves and root nodules. 

 It is the second largest order of flowering plants, and contains 

 some 7000 species. 



Manure (French, manceuvre, to till by hand). The word thus 

 originally meant cultivation of the soil by hand. It is now 

 restricted to the special substances added to supply plant 

 food. 



Mechanical (from the Latin, machina, a machine, a work artifically 

 made). The mechanical analysis of soil denotes the separa- 

 tion of the constituents of the soil by some method which does 

 not entail any change in composition of the constituents, e.g. 

 by washing. 



Medullary rays (Latin, medulla, the pith in plants, the marrow in 

 bones). The bands of tissue which pass from the pith, through 

 the wood, into the inner bark. The " grain " in oak wood is 

 due to the medullary rays. 



Monocotyledon (Greek, monos, one ; kotuledon, cup-like hollow). 

 One seed-leaf. The name given to a division of flowering 



