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calyptra pl. calyptrae |
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STRUCTURE |
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A distal hood- or lid-like portion that detaches as a unit from the remainder of the structure; esp. in some Papaveraceae the unopened calyx that separates from the rest of the flower at anthesis. |
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lenticel |
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STRUCTURE |
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A specialized, anatomically distinct structure within the periderm of a stem, consisting of comparatively spongy, sometimes suberized tissue distinct from others of the periderm; extending radially through the periderm and visible as a circular to elongate discontinuity in the color, texture, and/or relief of the outer surface of the stem; serving as a conduit for gas exchange between the stem interior and the atmosphere. |
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translucent |
< hyaline, pellucid |
coloration |
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Transmitting light uniformly and diffusely. See also transparent. |
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faceted |
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solid shape |
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Having numerous, relatively small, flat or shallowly curved portions of the external surface that are bounded by more or less distinct angular discontinuities in that surface. |
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scrotum-shaped |
= scrotiform |
solid shape |
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Saccate (bag-, pouch- or sack-shaped) and somewhat swollen bilaterally in the distal portion; like a scrotum. |
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infrabracteal |
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position |
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Upon the axis directly below a bract insertion. |
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dehiscence |
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CHARACTER |
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Mode of opening (splitting or forming apertures). |
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columella 1 pl. columellae, columellas |
= carpophore; < stalk |
STRUCTURE |
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Any pedestal-like prolongation of a floral receptacle extending beyond the distalmost level of perianth insertion and bearing the gynoecium. |
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replicate |
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vernation |
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Each with the distal portion of its blade recurved, paralleling and contiguous with the proximal portion. |
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needle-shaped |
= acerose, acicular |
solid shape |
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Rounded in cross-section and very slenderly elongate, broadest near the middle, and gradually attenuate to an acute apex and a slightly blunter base. |
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gametophyte |
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PLANT |
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The main, ultimate, gamete-bearing stage in the haploid (n chromosomes) phase of a taxon's life cycle. Two morphologically and genetically distinct and alternate stages together constitute the complete life cycle in sexually reproducing taxa, the other phase (sporophytic) being diploid (2n chromosomes). Any taxon whose life cycle is confined to one or the other phase is limited to asexual means of reproduction, since sexual reproduction and consequent genetic recombination are impossible without alternation between haploid and diploid states via meiosis and fertilization. The term gametophytic applies to any part of the haploid phase, including all unicellular to multicellular entities belonging to it, whereas gametophyte is reserved for the principal and directly gamete-producing stage of that phase. In all vascular plant taxa the sporophyte is the dominant and most conspicuous phase of the life cycle. The gametophytes of "lower" vascular plants (ferns and "fern-allies") are physically independent of the sporophytes and, though inconspicuous, merit description in their own rights. Those of gymnosperms and angiosperms are minute and physically dependent upon (contained within) sporophytic structures and are not usually included in morphological descriptions. In the flowering plants at least, the haploid phase is (presumably evolutionarily) reduced to such a degree that the existence of gametophytes per se is debatable. |
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sinuate |
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margin |
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Having regular, curved, smoothly connected, alternating concavities and convexities. See also repand. |
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phylloclade |
= cladode, cladophyll |
STRUCTURE |
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A stem segment that functions as a leaf; often more or less compressed. |
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lancehead-shaped 2 |
= lanceoloid, lanciform |
solid shape |
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Considerably longer than broad, compressed or not, broadest near the base and somewhat concavely attenuate to the apex, the attenuation in all median longitudinal planes or else largely confined to one, depending upon the extent of compression, if any. See also oblanceoloid (oblanciform). |
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drooping |
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orientation |
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Erect to salient (patent, porrect, spreading) proximally and curving downward distally. |
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thorn |
= spine |
STRUCTURE |
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Any sharp, stiff, simple or branched, woody appendage having vascular tissues confluent with those of the bearing structure. "Spine" is often preferred when the appendage is homologous with a leaf or stipule, and "thorn" when it is homologous with a branch. See also prickle. |
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bellied |
= ventricose |
solid shape |
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Bulging unilaterally near the middle, as though with a belly. |
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…crenate |
= …-scalloped |
margin |
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Having the number of orders of crenae (scallops) indicated by the prefix, one upon another; as in bicrenate, twice-crenate. See also …dentate (…-toothed), …serrate (…-sawtoothed). |
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…-sawtoothed |
= …serrate |
margin |
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Having the number of orders of sawteeth indicated by the prefix, one upon another; as in twice-sawtoothed. See also …-scalloped (…crenate), …-toothed (…dentate). |
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wood |
= xylem |
STRUCTURE |
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The water-conducting and usually main supporting tissue of a plant or portion thereof, characterized by the presence of tracheary elements (tracheids and sometimes vessel elements); the lignified tissue of a plant or component structure, composed almost entirely of secondary tissue, i.e., that derived by secondary or lateral growth from a cambium in structures a season or more old. As commonly used, the term wood generally refers only to secondary xylem, which constitutes the bulk of a mature woody stem, but it properly refers also to primary xylem, wherever found. See also sapwood, heartwood. |
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orientation |
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CHARACTER |
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Attitude or direction with respect to some explicit or implicit structure(s) or context. The lexicon relating to orientation includes some conceptually complex terms whose meanings also embrace aspects of structural composition or shape. Overlaps conceptually with arrangement, habit, insertion, position, and shape. |
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bulblet |
= bulbil |
STRUCTURE |
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A small bulb-like structure produced from a sterile or fertile plant structure other than a bulb, usually within a leaf axil, leaf sinus, or inflorescence, serving as a vegetative propagule. |
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cupule |
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STRUCTURE |
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A cup-like structure inserted at the base of a fruit, partially enclosing it or not; composed of a persistent, usually dried, sometimes hardened involucre, perianth, or portion thereof, the constituent parts often coalescent, yielding a unitary structure. |
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primocane |
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STRUCTURE |
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A biennial or perennial stem before it has begun flowering, when the latter does not occur until at least its second season of growth; esp. in Rubus (Rosaceae). |
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cleft |
? dissected, divided, lobate, lobed, parted, partite, segmented |
solid shape |
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Having two or more component sectors or peripheral protrusions that are delimited by concavities in the margin or surface and that are not proximally distinct from the remainder of the whole. The meanings of this term and its approximate synonyms sometimes have been supposed to differ according to the depth of the delimiting concavities relative to the midline or midpoint of the overall structure, and/or to the shape or proportions of the protusions or sectors; however, there has been little consistency in the applications of the various terms according to such distinctions, which are ones only of degree and are necessarily arbitrary in any case. In general usage, these terms differ only indistinctly and connotatively: cleft, lobed (or lobate), parted (or partite) and segmented tend to connote fewer protrusions or sectors; lobate usually connotes as well a generally rounded shape; dissected tends to connote more numerous sectors that are elongate and angular. See also cut (incised, lacerate, torn), laciniate (slashed). |
