EXPLANATION OF BOTANICAL TERMS xxi 



Perianth : said of a flower having only one set of floral leaves. 

 Pedicel : the small individual stalk of a flower borne in a cluster. 

 Peduncle: the main flower-stalk. 

 Sessile: said of flowers that grow close to the stem and have no 



pedicels. 

 Racetne : a long-shaped flower-head formed by numerous flowers grow- 

 ing on pedicels along the sides of a common stalk. 

 Spike : a raceme with sessile flowers. 

 Head : a dense spike, globular in shape, like a Clover. 

 Corymb: a raceme with the lower flowers on longer stalks, so that the 



cluster is almost flat on the top, as in the Yarrow. 

 Umbel: like a corymb, but with the pedicels all branching from a 



central point. 

 Axillary: growing from the axil, or angle, formed by the leaf and 



the stem. 

 Stamens : composed of 



Filament : the stalk to uphold the anther. 

 Anther : a tiny box containing the pollen. 

 ' Pollen : the fertilizing powder of the plant. 

 Pistil: composed of 



Ovary : containing the ovules, or undeveloped seeds. 

 Style : 2l slender stalk surmounting the ovary. 



Stigma : a variously formed tip of the style, which has a rough moist 

 surface to catch the pollen that fertihzes the seeds by means of 

 minute tubes that penetrate the style and convey the pollen from 

 the stigma to the ovules. 

 Spadix : a fleshy spike, as in the Arum Lily. 

 Spathe: the concave bract enveloping a spike. 



