GLOSSARY 



DICTIONARY OF TERMS USED IN DESCRIBING 



PLANTS. 



A, at the beginning of words of Greek derivation, commonly signifies a 



negative, or the absence of something; as, apetalous, without petals; 



aphyllous, leafless, &c. If the word begins with a vowel, the prefix is 



arc, as, arcantherous, destitute of anther. 

 Abnormal : contrary to the usual or the natural structure. 

 Abortive: imperfectly formed, or rudimentary. 

 Abrupt : suddenly terminating ; as, for instance, 

 Abruptly pinnate : pinnate without an odd leaflet at the end. 

 Acaulescent (acaulis) : apparently stemless ; the proper stem, bearing the 



leaves and flowers, being very short or subterranean. 

 Accessory: something additional; as Accessory buds. 

 Accrescent : growing larger after flowering, as the calyx of Physalis. 

 Accumbent: lying against a thing. The cotyledons are accumbent when 



they lie with their edges against the radicle. 

 Acerose: needle-shaped, as the leaves of Pines. 

 Achenium (plural achenia) : a one-seeded, seed-like fruit. 

 Achlamydeous (flower) : without floral envelopes. 

 Acicular: needle-shaped; more slender than acerose. 

 Acorn : the nut of the Oak. 



Acotijledonous : destitute of cotyledons or seed-leaves. 

 Acrtigenous: growing from the apex, as the stems of Ferns and Mosses. 

 Acrocjens, or Acrogenous Plants: the higher Cryptogamous plants, such as 



Ferns, &c. 



Aculeate: armed with prickles, i e. aculei ; as the Rose and Brier. 

 Aculeolate : armed with small prickles, or slightly prickly. 

 Acuminate : taper-pointed. 



Acute: merely sharp-pointed, or ending in a point less than a right angle. 

 Adelphous (stamens): joined in a fraternity (adelphia) : see monadelphous 



and diadelphous. 



Adherent: sticking to, or, more commonly, growing fast to another body. 

 Adnate: growing fast to; it means born adherent. The anther is adnate 



when fixed by its whole length to the filament or its prolongation. 

 Adpressed, or appressed : brought into contact, but not united. 



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