polygamous: bearing male, female, and bisexual 
flowers on the same plant. 
polypetalous: corolla of several free petals. 
polyphyllous: with perianth or petals and sepals 
arising separately from the axis. 
prickle: a sharp outgrowth of the epidermis or bark 
as in Mimosa (Fig. 12). 
procumbent: of branches which extend laterally and 
ultimately trail along the ground without rooting 
at the nodes. 
prostrate: lying flat on the ground. 
puberulous: covered with minute, soft, erect hairs. 
pubescent: covered with short, soft, erect hairs. 
pulvinus: the swollen base of a petiole or petiolule 
(Fig. 80). 
punctate: marked with dots. 
punctulate: marked with minute dots. 
pustulate: with small pimple-like or blister-like 
projections. 
pyriform: pear-shaped. 
quadrate: squared in cross section. 
raceme: an inflorescence consisting of an unbranched 
axis bearing stalked flowers (Figs. 1,79). 
rachilla: pl. rachillae; the secondary axis of a 
compound leaf or inflorescence (Fig. 80). 
rachis: the primary axis of a compound leaf or 
inflorescence (Fig. 80). 
radical: leaves arranged in a rosette and arising 
apparently directly from the root. 
receptacle: the part of the floral axis bearing the floral 
organs (Fig. 79). 
reflexed: bent sharply downwards or backwards. 
reniform: kidney-shaped (Fig. 80). 
resinous: with resin; resin covered. 
resupinate: upside down, twisted through 180 degrees 
as in standard of Clitoria flowers (Fig. 18). 
reticulate: when the nerves or veins cross each other 
like the meshes of a net as in the leaves of 
Tephrosia coriacea (Fig. 30). 
retrorse: pointing backwards or downwards, usually 
of hairs. 
retuse: of an apex which is blunt and slightly notched 
(Fig. 80). : 
rheophyte: a woody plant which grows primarily in 
seasonal water courses. 
rhizome: an underground stem, by which a plant may 
reproduce vegetatively, hence rhizomatous. 
rhomboidal: like a rhomboid (with equal, parallel 
sides, but two corners <90 degrees and two >90 
degrees) (Fig. 80). 
rostellum: the extension of the upper edge of the 
stigma in orchids. 
243 
rugose: deeply wrinkled as in seeds of Phyllanthus 
leai (Fig. 75). 
samara: a dry indehiscent fruit with a membranous 
wing at one end. 
scaberulous: finely scabrous. 
scabrous: scabrid; rough to touch. 
scalariform: with ladder-like markings, as in venation 
of Macaranga leaves (Fig. 74). 
scarious: thin, dry, membranous, not green. 
schizocarp: a dry fruit which at maturity splits into 
several often one-seeded portions or mericarps. 
sclerenchyma: hard, woody tissue of cells with 
thickened walls, e.g. surrounding the seed in 
drupaceous fruit. 
secund: with all the flowers of an inflorescence 
crowded to one side as in Grevillea pteridifolia. 
sepal: a member of the calyx (Fig. 79). 
sepaloid: having the appearance of sepals. 
septicidal: of a mature capsule splitting at the junction 
of the septum and outer walls. 
septum: pl. septa; a partition, hence septate. 
sericeous: silky to touch, covered with silky hairs. 
serrate: toothed like a saw (Fig. 80). 
serrulate: finely serrate (Fig. 80). 
sessile: without any stalk. 
simple: with respect to leaves possessing a single leaf 
blade which may be deeply dissected but not 
divided into separate leaflets (Fig. 80). 
sinuate: with smooth, regular wave-like indentations 
of the margin, but shallower than lobed. 
sinus: the gap between two lobes of a leaf or other 
flattened organ. 
spadix: a spike with flowers more or less sunk in 
tissue, usually-enclosed in a spathe. 
spathe: a large bract which sheaths an inflorescence 
as in Araceae, hence spathaceous and spatheate. 
spathulate: spoon-shaped in outline (Fig. 80). 
spike: an inflorescence consisting of an undivided 
floral axis, bearing sessile flowers (Figs. 1,79). 
spine: a stiff, pointed structure derived through 
modification of an organ such as a stipule, branch 
or petiole as in Quisqalis. 
spinescent: becoming spine-like. 
stamen: pollen bearing organ, usually comprising a 
stalk and anther (Figs 15,79). 
staminode: a sterile stamen, often reduced and 
lacking anthers. 
standard: vexillum; the adaxial or upper petal of a 
flower of the Fabaceae, usually the largest petal 
(Fig. 15). 
stellate: star-shaped. 
stigma: the area receptive to pollen at or near the 
distal end of the style (Fig. 79). 
stipe: a stalk, hence stipitate. 
