VOCABULARY, 
OR 
EXPLANATION OF BOTANICAL TERMS. 
A. 
A , in composition signifies privation, 
or destitute of ; as, acaulis referring 
to a plant without a caulis or stem. 
Abortive flower. Falling oil' without 
producing any fruit. 
• stamens. Not furnished with 
anthers. 
pistil. Defective in some cs- . 
sential part. 
seed. Not becoming perfect 
through want of the fertilizing in- 
fluence of the pollen. 
Abrupt’ leaf. A pinnate leaf with an 
odd or terminal leafet. 
Acal'yces. From a signifying without 
and calyx, a flower cup ; a class in 
an ancient method of arrangement, 
consisting of plants without a ca- 
lyx. 
Acau'les. From a wanting and caulis 
a stem ; the '20th class in Magnoli- 
us’ method, including plants with- . 
out stems. 
Acero'se leaf. Linear and permanent 
as in the pine. 
Acic'ular. Needle shaped. 
A'cinus. A small berry, which with 
many others, composes the fruit of 
the mulberry and raspberry ; the 
plural is acini. 
Acotyled' onous. From a without and 
cotyledon a seed lobe ; plants desti- 
tute of seed lobes, and which conse- 
quently, put forth no seminal or seed 
leaves, as mosses and ferns. 
kculeus. (From acus a needle) a 
prickle, or sharp point ; common to 
the rose and raspberry. It differs 
from the thorn in being a prolonga- 
tion of the outer bark of the plant, 
and unconnected with the wood. 
34 * 
Prickles have been compared to the* 
nails and claws of animals. 
Acu'minate. Abruptly sharp pointed, 
having the point curved towards one 
edge of the leaf, resembling an awl. 
Acute. More gradually sharp pointed 
than acuminate. An obtuse angle 
or any other mathematical angle, is 
acute in botanical language. 
Adel'phous. From the Greek adclphos 
a brother or an equal ; applied to 
plants whose stamens are united by 
tlieir filaments, whether in one or 
two sets. 
Adnate. Growing together. 
Ad'vcrsifo'lia:. From adversus, oppo- 
site ; and folium, a leaf) plants whose 
leaves stand opposite to each other, 
on the same stem or branch. Name 
of the 5th class in Sauvage’s Me- 
thod us folior u m (method of leaves,) 
as exemplified in the labiate flow- 
ers. 
.Estivates. (From cestas , summer); 
plants which blossom in summer. 
The second divisions of Da Pas’ me- 
thod, with reference to the four sea- 
sons of the year, consisting of herbs 
which blossom in summer. 
I fora. (From a without and fores a 
door) having no doors or valves. 
The name of a class in Camellus’ 
method, consisting of plants whose 
pericarp or seed vessel is not fur- 
nished with internal valves. 
Aga'mous. (From a , without, and ga~ 
mos, marriage ) a term derived 
from the indelicate notions of the 
■ botanists of the last century, respect- 
ing the several distinctions of plants ; 
and which, whatever analogies may 
actually exist between the vegeta- 
ble and animal kingdoms, should be 
