188 GLOSSARY. 



Nerved. Usually applied to leaves or scales when the principal 

 woody bundles in them are prominent and run from the base 

 (palmately) and not from a midrib (pinnately) : these are 

 usually called veins in other cases, especially when they 

 anastomose and from a fine network or reticulation. 



Neutral. Lacking both stamens and pistil (flowers of snowball). 



Nodding. Bending over : applied to the inflorescence and to 

 flower stalks. 



Nodes. The points of the stem from which leaves come: these 

 are alternate when solitary at a node ; opposite when two 

 come from a node; and whorled when several come from a 

 node. Fascicled or clustered leaves (barberry) usually 

 come from short axillary branches. 



Oblanceolate. Lanceolate, but with the greatest breadth above 

 the middle. 



Oblique. Unequal-sided at base (leaves of elm or begonia). 



Obliquely opposite. Applied to opposite leaves when one of a 

 pair stands more or less higher on the stem than the other. 



Oblong. Relatively longer and narrower than elliptical and with 

 more parallel margins than lanceolate, and much broader 

 than linear, as applied to leaves. 



Obovate. Inverted ovate, broadest above the middle. 



Obtuse. Blunt, in contrast with acute. 



Odd-pinnate. Pinnate with a terminal leaflet. 



Opposite. As applied to leaves, two at each node : the succes- 

 sive pairs "decussate", so that the leaves are in four ranks 

 on the stem. Sometimes (buckthorn) the leaves of a pair 

 are separated so as to appear alternate but in four ranks. 

 Plants with whorled leaves (deutzia) frequently have them 

 opposite as well. 



Order. A natural group of plants consisting of related genera. 

 Ordinal names usually end in ales. 



Ovate. Like the longitudinal section of an egg, the greatest 

 width below the middle, as applied to leaves. 



Ovoid. Egg-shaped, as applied to solid objects like fruits. 



Palmate. The same as digitate. 



Panicle. A compound or branched raceme. 



