VOCABULARY. 
415 
OJficina'lis. Such plants as are kept 
for sale as medicinal, or of use in 
the arts. 
Oirf, Oidts. This termination im- 
ports resemblance, as petaloid, 
like a petal ; thalictroides, resem- 
bling a thalictrum, Ac. 
Opa'que. Not transparent. 
Operculum. The lid which covers 
the capsules of mosses. 
Opposite. Standing against each 
other on opposite sides of the stem. 
Orbic'ular. Circular. 
Orchid'eous. Petals like the orchis, 
four arched, the fifth longer. 
Ornithology. That department of 
zoology which treats of birds. 
0.r. A bone. A mouth. 
Osseous. Bony, hard. 
O vary. A name sometimes given to 
the outer covering of the germ, 
before it ripens. 
O vate. Egg shaped, oval with the 
lower end largest. 
Ovip arous. Animals produced from 
eggs, as birds, Ac. 
O vules. Little eggs ; the rudiments 
of seeds which the germ contains 
before its fertilization ; after that 
the ovules ripen into seeds. 
O vum. An egg. 
P. 
Palate. A prominence in the lower 
lip of a labiate corolla, closing or 
nearly closing the throat. 
Palea ceous. See Chaffy. 
Palmate. Hand-shaped; divided so 
as to resemble the hand with the 
fingers spread. 
Palus tris. Growing in swamps and 
marshes. 
Pandu'riform. Contracted in the 
middle like a violin or guitar. 
Pan icle. A loose, irregular bunch 
of flowers with sub-divided branch- 
es, as the oat. 
Pan'icled. Bearing panicles. 
Papil'io. A butterfly. 
Papilionaceous. Butterfly-shaped, — 
aji irregular corolla consisting of 
four petals ; the upper one is cal- 
led the banner, the two side ones 
wings, and the lower one the keel, 
as the pea. Mostly found in the 
class Diadelphia. 
Papillose. Covered with protuber- 
ances. 
Pappus. The down of seeds, as the 
dandelion; a feathery appendage. 
See Egret. 
Parasit ic. Growing on another plant 
and deriving nourishment from it. 
Paren chyma. A succulent vegeta- 
ble substance ; the cellular sub- 
stance ; the thick part of leaves 
between the opposite surfaces ; 
the pulpy part of fruits, as in the 
apple, Ac. 
Partial. Used in distinction to gen- 
eral. 
Partition. The membrane which 
divides pericarps into cells, called 
the dissepiment. It is parallel 
when it unites with the valves 
where they unite with each other. 
It is contrary or transverse when 
it meets a valve in the middle or 
in any part not at its suture. 
Parted. Deeply divided; more than 
cleft. 
Patens. Spreading, forming less than 
a right angle. 
Pauli. Few in number. 
Pectinate. Like the teeth of a 
comb, intermediate between fim- 
briate and pinnatifid. 
Pedate. Having a central leaf or 
segment and the two side ones 
which are compound, like a bird’s 
foot. 
Ped'irel. A little stalk or partial pe- 
duncle. 
Pedun cle. A stem bearing the flow- 
er and fruit. 
Pellicle. A thin membranous coat. 
Pellu cid. Transparent or limpid. 
Peltate. Having the petiole attach- 
ed to some part of the under side 
of the leaf. 
Pendant. Hanging down, pendu- 
lous. 
Pencilled. Shaped like a painter’s 
pencil or brush. 
Percgri'nus. Foreign, wandering. 
Perennial. Lasting more than two 
years. 
Perfo liate. Having a stem running 
through the leaf; differs from con- 
nate in not consisting of two leaves. 
Perforate. Having holes as if prick- 
ed through ; differs front punctate, 
which has dots resembling holes. 
