crista pl. cristae |
= crest |
STRUCTURE |
|
A laterally elongate, relatively thin, irregular or notched, apical protrusion. |
attenuate 2 |
= tapered |
plane shape |
|
Gradually diminishing in width from one end to the other. |
streaked 2 |
= striate; < lineate |
relief |
|
Covered with very narrow and shallow, relatively long, more or less straight and parallel depressions. |
mealy 2 |
> farinaceous, farinose |
pubescence |
|
Loose, dry, and disintegrating in finely granular pieces like meal or flour. |
semicraspedodromous |
|
venation |
|
Having a single median primary vein that branches to either side along the length of the lamina, each secondary vein running thence toward and bifurcate near the margin, one branch terminating at the margin, the other upwardly arcuate and merging with the superadjacent secondary vein, thus forming one of a series of marginal loops. |
rachilla 1 var. rhachilla |
|
STRUCTURE |
|
A second- or higher-order axis of a compound leaf blade, bearing higher-order rachillae, leaflets, pinnules and/or tendrils. |
intercostal |
|
insertion |
|
Between the costae. |
penicillate |
= broom-shaped, muscariform |
solid shape |
|
Having a proximal axis that bears a distal cluster of elongate slender branches or appendages, these variously ascending to erect; like a broom. |
paraphysis pl. paraphyses |
|
STRUCTURE |
|
An elongate, multicellular, sterile structure borne between sporangia within a sorus; in Polypodiophyta. |
rhytidomal |
|
position |
|
Within, upon, or otherwise directly associated with the bark. |
non-porous |
|
porosity |
|
Lacking vessels, the tracheary elements limited to tracheids and, sometimes, fiber-tracheids. |
porous |
|
porosity |
|
Having vessels present. |
bracteole 2 |
= bractlet, prophyll(um); < bract |
STRUCTURE |
|
A second- or higher-order bract within, and subtending some portion of, an aggregate branching structure, especially when subtending a flower. |
dusty |
= lentiginose, lentiginous |
coating |
|
Covered with a more or less even deposit of minute, dry, macroscopically indistinguishable particles. See also powdery (pulverulent), which is not clearly distinct in its application. |
sterigma pl. sterigmata |
|
STRUCTURE |
|
A portion of a lamina that is prolonged and adherent to the supporting axis beneath the point of vascular insertion. |
small-dotted |
= puncticulate |
coloration |
|
Finely dotted (punctate). |
pubescence |
|
CHARACTER |
|
Collective aspect of trichomes borne on the surface. Many of the terms traditionally used for describing pubescence have been defined and used in so many differing and often contradictory ways that they have become hopelessly ambiguous. This is attributable mainly to overdefinition within this portion of the traditional lexicon — that is, to highly arbitrary and widely variant restriction of a term's scope to some one detailed combination of trichome character states (shape, size, orientation, etc.). By derivation these are essentially general terms, really suited only for denoting overall aspect. The diversity actually encountered in nature defies comprehensive and unambiguous resolution into any limited suite of precisely specified, mutually exclusive, complex character states that can be associated with these terms, which are best used only in their general senses. Sometimes, such description will be sufficient in itself; more often, additionally or alternatively, the various attributes of the individual trichomes should be described. This is the only strategy that allows for full description of any possible condition, including the presence of more than one type of trichome. The various terms used for describing pubescence have never been semantically consistent; in some cases they refer to the trichomes themselves, while in others they apply to the bearing surface or structure; e.g., sericeous (the trichomes themselves are collectively silky) versus barbate (the structure is bearded). See also coating, indumentum (vesture). |
palea 2 pl. paleae, paleas |
= pale, palet |
STRUCTURE |
|
The distal bract of the (usually) two that immediately subtend the flower in a grass (Poaceae) spikelet; the other is the lemma. |
remote |
= distant |
arrangement |
|
Disposed relatively far from one another along the axis. |
superaxillary |
|
position |
|
Internodal but close to and directly above the axil(s). |
lorate |
= liguliform, strap-shaped |
solid shape |
|
Elongate and relatively thin with the opposite faces more or less plane and moderately narrow, their edges more or less straight and parallel over most of their length; resembling a strap. |
lenticular 1 |
= biconvex, lens-shaped |
plane shape |
|
Elongate, narrow, broadest at the middle, attenuate to acute ends, the sides convex; like the outline of a double-convex lens viewed from its edge. |
stamen |
|
STRUCTURE |
|
A seed-plant organ that produces and releases pollen; usually comprising a stalk (filament) that bears a locular structure (anther) containing sporogenous tissue; however, the filament may be lacking and the anther sessile, or the stamen may be undifferentiated, the whole then consisting of microsporangia embedded in or borne upon the surface of a more or less planate body of sterile tissue; one of the constituent organs of a bisexual or a staminate flower; may be distinct or else connate with one or more others and/or may be free or else adnate with one or more other floral structures. |
…winged |
= …pterous |
architecture |
|
Having the number of wings (alae) indicated by the prefix; as in 3-winged, five-winged. |
deliquescent 2 |
|
texture |
|
Delicately fleshy and liquifying at maturity or with pressure; e.g., petals of Tradescantia (Commelinaceae). |