A GLOSSARY OF BOTANICAL TERMS 41 



LiGULE, a small membranous bract embracing the stem of grasses 



and forming part of the sheath. 

 Limb, the broader part of a petal or leaf. 

 Linear, very narrow and with parallel edges. 

 Lobes, the divisions of a leaf, calyx, or corolla in a broad sense. 

 Lyrate, applied to a puinatifid leaf with a rounded terminal lobe 



and smaller divisions towards the base, as in Geum montanum. 



Membranous, thin and transparent like a membrane. 



Midrib, the principal vein of a leaf. 



Monocotyledon, a plant having only one seed-leaf. Grasses, 



Sedges, Lilies, and many bulbous and tuberous plants are 



Monocotyledons. 

 Monoecious plants are those which have the stamens and pistil in 



separate flowers, but on the same plant. 

 MuCRONATE, suddenly terminated by a short and stiff point or 



needle, called a mucro. In leaves it is the prolongation of the 



midrib. 



Naturalised, of foreign origin, but established and growing 



naturally in a country. 

 Nectary, an organ secreting nectar or honey. 

 Nitrogenous, containing nitrogen. 

 Node, the point of insertion of a leaf on a stem. 

 Nut, a dry fruit with a hard, woody shell or pericarp. 



Obcordate, inversely heart-shaped. 



Obovate, inversely egg-shaped. 



Obtuse, more or less rounded at the top. 



Offset, the bud at the end of a runner or stolon. 



Opposite, apphed to leaves which are in pairs at the same level 



on the stem ; cf. Alternate. 

 Orbicular, round, spherical. 

 Ovary, a carpel enclosing one or more ovules. 

 Ovule, the embryo seed enclosed in the ovary. 



Paleaceous, chaffy. 



PALEiE, or Chaff, the inner bracts or scales in CompositcB, Grami- 

 nece, etc. 



Palmate, divided like a hand into several lobes. 



Panicle, a branched raceme. 



Pappus, a feathery appendage of the seed of many ComposUee. 



Parasite, a plant living on or in another (the host) from which it 

 derives part of its food; e.g. Orobanche. Semi-parasites in- 

 clude Pedicularis, Rhinanthus , Euphrasia, etc. 



Patent, spreading open. 



Pectinate, finely divided hke the teeth of a comb. 



