Selected North Dakota and Minnesota Range Plants (continued)

EB-69, 1998

Glossary – continued

Habit

The general appearance of a plant

Habitat

The environmental conditions or kind of place in which a plant grows

Hair

An epidermal appendage, usually slender, sometimes branched, not stiff or stout enough to be called a spine or prickle, not flattened as a scale

Halophyte

A plant adapted to growth in salty soil

Haploid

Having only one complement of chromosomes per cell. (Compare diploid)

Harsh

A texture disagreeable to the touch; rough; unpleasant

Hastate

Shaped like an arrowhead, with narrow basal lobes standing out at wide angles

Haustoria

Suckerlike attachment organs of parasitic plants

Head

A short, dense cluster of sessile or nearly sessile flowers

Helicoid

Spiraling like a snail shell, with lateral branches on one side

Helicoid cyme

A sympodial cyme with the apparent main axis curved in more or less of a helix, because the successive lateral branches that make up the axis all arise on the same side (Compare scorpioid cyme)

Hemi-

A Greek prefix meaning half

Hemispheric

Shaped like one-half of a sphere

Herb

A plant lacking persistent woody parts aboveground

Herbage

The green vegetative parts of a plant

Herbaceous

Having the character of a herb

Hermaphrodite

With both sexes together in the same individual, or in the same flower

Hetero-

A Greek prefix meaning other, various, or having more than one kind

Heteromorphic

Of two or more distinct forms or types

Heterosporous

Producing two different kinds of spores (usually of very unequal size), one of which gives rise to make gametophytes, the other to female; opposite of homosporous

Heterostylic

With styles of different (usually two) lengths in flowers of different individuals, some surpassing, others surpassed by the stamens

Heterotrophic

Parasitic or saprobic, as opposed to autotrophic

Hexa-

Greek prefix, meaning six

Hexaploid

Having six complements of chromosomes per cell

Hirsute

Having coarse or stiff, long hairs

Hirsutulous, hirsutulose

Minutely hirsute

Hirtellous

Minutely hirsute

Hispid

Having bristly or rigid hairs

Hispidulous, hispidulose

Minutely hispid

Hoary

Covered with a fine white or grayish pubescence

Homo-

A Greek prefix meaning alike or very similar

Homosporous

Producing only one kind of spore, which gives rise to a gametophyte that produces both antheridia and archegonia; opposite of heterosporous

Hood

An erect to spreading petaloid blade with incurved margins (Asclepiadaceae)

Hooked

Curved or bent like a hook

Horizontal

Parallel to the plane of the earth

Horn

An exserted appendage on the hood (Asclepiadaceae)

Humic

Consisting of or derived from humus (organic portion of soil)

Humistrate

Laid flat on the soil

Husk

The outer covering of some fruits (e.g., Physalis)

Hyaline

Translucent or colorless

Hydrophyte

A plant adapted to life in the water

Hygroscopic

Changing shape or position because of changes in moisture

Hypanthium

An enlarged receptacle below the calyx, often including fused floral envelope and androecium parts (Rosaceae)

Hypo-

Greek prefix, meaning beneath

Hypogaeous germination

Germination in which the cotyledons remain beneath the ground (Compare epigaeous germination)

Hypogynous

Borne on the receptacle, under the ovary

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-Iferous

Latin combining form, indicating carrying or bearing

Imbricate

Arranged in a tight spiral, so that the outermost member has both edges exposed, and at least the innermost member has both edges covered; more loosely, in a shingled arrangement

Imperfect flower

A flower that has stamens but not pistil(s), or pistil(s) but not stamens, regardless of what other flower parts may be present or absent (Compare perfect flower, complete flower, incomplete flower)

In-

Latin prefix, meaning, in different contexts, not, in, or into

Incised

Rather deeply and sharply (and often irregularly) cut

Included

Contained within an envelope, projecting beyond it; opposite of exserted

Incomplete flower

A flower that lacks one or more of the kinds of structures found in a complete flower, q.v.

Inconspicuous

Not easily seen; not evident

Incumbent cotyledons

Cotyledons with the back of one of them against the radicle(Compare accumbent cotyledons)

Incurved

Curved toward the center

Indehiscent

Not dehiscent, remaining closed at maturity

Indeterminate inflorescence

An inflorescence that blooms from the base upwards, so that theoretically it could continue to elongate indefinitely (Compare determinate inflorescence)

Indument

The epidermal appendages of a plant or an organ considered collectively; same as vestiture. The ramentum of many ferns is not considered part of the indument

Induplicate

Valvate, with the margins infolded

Indurate

Hard

Indusium

The covering of the sporangia on fern fronds

Inferior

An ovary that appears to be below the point of insertion of the perianth, often adnate to the calyx

Inflated

Puffed up; bladdery

Inflexed

Turned in at the margins

Inflorescence

A flower-cluster of a plant; the arrangement of the flowers on the axis

Infra-

Latin prefix, meaning beneath or within or less than; opposite of supra-

Infructescence

The inflorescence in the fruiting stage

Inserted

Attached to, referring to the point of origin of an organ

Integument

The covering of an organ (e.g., ovule)

Inter-

Latin prefix, meaning between or among

Intercalary meristem

A meristem, separated from the apical meristem, that produces primary tissues; e.g., the meristem at the base of the leaf-blade in grasses

Intermingled

Intermixed; mixed together

Internerves

Spaces between the nerves

Internode

The part of a stem between two successive nodes

Intra-

Latin prefix, meaning within

Intrastaminal

Within (as opposed to outside of) the androecium

Introduced

Not native to North America

Introrse

Directed or turned inward. Opposite of extrorse

Involucel

Diminutive of involucre; an involucre of the second order

Involucre

Any structure that surrounds the base of another structure; in angiosperms usually applied to a set of bracts beneath an inflorescence

Involute

Rolled inward, so that the lower side of an organ is exposed and the upper concealed (Compare revolute)

Irregular flower

A flower in which the petals (or less often the sepals) are dissimilar in form or orientation

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Jointed

Possessing nodes or articulations

Keel

A central dorsal ridge; the two united front petals of a flower (Fabaceae)

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Labellum

Lip; the enlarged upper petal that appears to be the lower petal because of twisting of pedicel (Orchidaceae)

Labiate

Lipped, usually in compounds such as bilabiate, i.e., two-lipped, referring to a sympetalous corolla with upper and lower sets of lobes

Lacerate

Irregularly cut, as if torn

Laciniate

Slashed or cut into narrow, pointed lobes

Lactiferous

Cut into narrow and usually unequal segments

Lacustrine

Pertaining to or growing around lakes

Lamella

A flat, thin plate

Lamellate

Made up of flat, thin plates

Lamina

An expanded part of blade

Laminar

Thin and flat, as in a leaf-blade; pertaining to the leaf-surface, as opposed to the margins

Lanate

Woolly, with intertwined, curly hairs

Lance-linear

Shaped like a narrow lance

Lanceolate

Lance-shaped; much longer than broad, widest near the base and tapering to the apex

Lanuginous

Wooly

Lanulose

Diminutive of lanate

Lateral

Belonging to or borne on the side

Latex

A colorless to more often white, yellow, or reddish liquid, produced by some plants, characterized by the presence of colloidal particles of terpenes dispersed in water

Lax

Loose

Leaflet

One part (blade) of a compound leaf

Legume

A bilaterally symmetrical fruit produced from a unilocular ovary, dehiscing into two valves, with seeds attached along with ventral suture (Fabaceae)

Lemma

The lower of two bracts enclosing the flower of grass

Lenticel

A corky spot on the epidermis or bark

Lenticular

Lens-shaped

Lepidote

Scaly; covered with small scales

Ligneous

Woody

Lignescent

Somewhat woody or becoming woody

Ligulate floret

Small flower with corolla expanded into ligule, but perfect and fertile (Lactuceae, Asteraceae)

Ligule

A strap-shaped limb or body

Limb

The expanded part of a sympetalous corolla above the throat; the expanded part of any petal or leaf

Limber

Flexible; supple

Linear

Long and narrow with sides more or less parallel

Lingulate

Tongue-shaped

Lip

A projection or expansion of something; one of the two segments or sets of lobes of a bilabiate (two-lipped) corolla or calyx; the odd petal of an orchid

Lobate

Having lobes

Lobe

A partial division of an organ, especially if rounded

Locular

Having locules

Locule

Compartment or cavity of an organ, especially of an ovary

Loculicidal

Dehiscent into the locule, on the back, more or less halfway between the partitions

Lodicule

One of the tiny scales that may represent a vestigial perianth in grasses

Loment

A leguminous fruit, constricted between the seeds, each 1-seeded segment separating at maturity

Loose

Not arranged tightly together

Lunate

Crescent-shaped

Lyrate

Pinnatifid, with enlarged terminal lobe and smaller lower lobes

Lysigenous

Originating by dissolution or degeneration of cells or tissue (Compare schizogenous)

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Macro-

Latin prefix, equivalent to Greek mega-, q.v.

Maculate

Mottled or blotched

Marcescent

Withering, but persistent on the plant

Margin

An edge; border

Marginal placenta

A placenta along the suture of the ovary of a simple pistil (Compare parietal placenta)

Maritime

Pertaining to the ocean or the seacost; growing near the ocean, under the influence of salt water

Marsh

An area of wet soil; a swamp

Mat

A tangled mass of plants growing close to the soil surface and generally rooting at the nodes

Median

Pertaining to the middle

Mega-

A Greek prefix meaning large

Megaspore

A spore that gives rise to a female gametophyte. Megaspores are usually much larger than corresponding microspores, which give rise to male gametophytes (Compare microspore)

Megasporophyll

A sporophyll that bears or subtends one or more megasporangia

Membranaceous, membranous

Thin, pliable, more or less translucent

Mericarp

A portion of a dry dehiscent fruit that splits away as if separate (Apiaceae)

Meristem

Undifferentiated tissue, capable of developing into various organs

Merous

A Greek suffix referring to the number of parts

Mesic

Characterized by moderately moist conditions; neither dry nor wet

Mesocarp

The middle layer of the fruit wall

Mesophyte

A plant adapted to growth under ordinary moisture conditions; intermediate between hydrophyte and xerophyte

Micro-

A Greek prefix meaning small

Micropyle

The opening between integuments into an ovule

Midnerve, Midrib, Midvein

The central or principal vein of a leaf or bract

Minute

Very small, nearly microscopic

Mixed inflorescence

An inflorescence with cymose and racemose components, the sequence of flowering neither strictly determinate nor strictly indeterminate

Mixed panicle

An inflorescence of paniculate appearance, but of mixed cymose and racemose components

Monadelphous

Stamens with their filaments united into one group

Moniliform

Constricted at regular intervals, resembling a string of beads

Mono-

A Greek prefix meaning one

Monocarpic

Blooming only once and then dying; usually applied only to perennials

Monocotyledons

Flowering plants having one cotyledon, parallel venation and flower parts usually in 3s

Monoecious

Having staminate and pistillate flowers on the same plant

Mottled

Marked with spots or blotches

Mucilaginous

Slimy

Mucro

A sharp, short and abrupt tip

Mucronate

Terminated by a mucro

Mucronulate

Terminating with a small mucro

Multi

Latin prefix, meaning many

Multiple fruit

A fruit derived from several or many flowers, as a pineapple or mulberry

Muricate

Rough, with hard, short points

Mycorrhiza

A symbiotic association of a fungus and the root of a vascular plant; by extension, other symbiotic associations of fungi with higher plants

Mycotrophic

Evidently modified as a result of mycorrhizal association; dependent on mycorrhizal association

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Naked

Uncovered; lacking pubescence; lacking enveloping structures

Napiform

Turnip-shaped (roots)

Natant

Floating underwater; immersed

Native

Occurring in North America before settlement by European man

Naturalized

Thoroughly established, but originally coming from another area

Naviculate

Boat-shaped

Nectariferous

Having or producing nectar

Nectary

The organ from which nectar (sweet fluid) is secreted

Nerve

A simple vein or rib

Nodding

Inclined somewhat from the vertical; drooping

Node

The place on the stem where a leaf is borne

Nodose

Knobby, used especially in describing roots

Nodulose

Diminutive of nodose

Nude

Same as naked

Nut

An indehiscent, hard, 1-seeded fruit

Nutlet

A small nut

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Ob-

A Latin prefix meaning inverted

Obconic

Cone-shaped with attachment at apex

Obcordate

Inversely cordate or heart-shaped with the attachment at the narrow end

Obdeltoid

Inversely triangular-shaped with the attachment at point of the narrow angle rather than the side

Oblanceolate

Lanceolate with broadest part above the middle and tapering toward the base

Oblate

Flattened at the poles

Oblique

Slanting

Oblong

Longer than broad, with sides nearly parallel

Obovate, obovoid

Egg-shaped, with broader part toward the tip

Obscure

Inconspicuous; not easily seen

Obsolescent

Nearly obsolete

Obsolete

Not apparent, rudimentary, extinct

Obturbinate

Inversely turbinate; conical; shaped like a top

Obtuse

Rounded, blunt

Ochroleucous

Yellowish-white

Ocrea

A papery sheath formed by the fusion of stipules (e.g., around nodes of Polygonum)

Odd

In a number not evenly divisible by two

Odd-

pinnate Pinnately compound and with a terminal leaflet, so that typically there is an odd number of leaflets. (Compare even-pinnate)

Olivaceous

Olive-green in color

Opposite

Arranged two at each node, on opposite sides of the axis

Orbicular

Circular

Orifice

An opening

Ornamental

A plant cultivated for its beauty rather than for agronomic use

Oval

Broadly elliptical

Ovary

The part of the pistil containing the ovules

Ovate, ovoid

Egg-shaped with the broader part near the base

Overlap

To extend over and cover part of an adjacent structure

Ovoid

Shaped like a hen's egg. (Term applied to solid objects; compare ovoid, abovate)

Ovulate

Bearing ovules

Ovule

The body that when fertilized becomes the seed

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Palatable

Acceptable in taste and texture for consumption

Palate

A rounded projection on the lower lip of 2-lipped corolla, closing the throat

Pale

Not bright; deficient in color

Palea

The small, upper bract enclosing the flower of grass

Paleaceous

Chaffy

Palmate

Divided in a palmlike or handlike manner

Palmatifid

More or less deeply cut in palmate fashion

Panicle

An irregular compound inflorescence with pedicillate flowers

Paniculate

Borne in a panicle

Paniculiform

Resembling a panicle

Pannose

Having the texture or appearance of woolen cloth

Papery

Having the texture of writing paper

Papilionaceous

Butterflylike corolla with standard, wings, and keel (Fabaceae)

Papilla

Small, pimplelike projection

Papillate, papules

Bearing papillae

Pappus

Modified perianth forming a crown on an achene (Asteraceae)

Parietal

Borne on the wall (as ovule on wall of ovary)

Parallel-veined

With several or many more or less parallel main veins, the network of smaller veins not obvious. (Compare net-veined)

Parasite

A plant that derives its food or water chiefly from another plant to which it is attached. (Compare epiphyte)

Parenchyma

A tissue composed of relatively unspecialized, usually thin-walled cells

Patent

Spreading

Pectinate

Pinnatifid with very narrow, close division

Pedicel

The stalk of a single flower

Pedicellate, Pedicelled

Borne on a pedicel

Peduncle

The stalk of a flower cluster or of one flower when it is the only member of an inflorescence

Pedunculate

Borne on a peduncle

Peltate

Shield-shaped, attached to the stalk by the lower surface, often near the center

Pendent, pendulous

Hanging down

Penicillate

Brushlike

Pentadelphous

Connate into five groups

Pentamerous

Having the parts in 5s

Perennial

Lasting several years

Perfect

Having both functional stamens and pistils

Perfoliate

Referring to a sessile leaf whose base completely surrounds the stem

Perforate

Having translucent dots that look like small holes, or pierced through

Peri-

A Greek prefix meaning around

Perianth

The floral envelope consisting of the calyx and corolla

Pericarp

The wall of a fruit

Perigynium

The papery sheath surrounding the pistil in Carex

Perigynous

Having the perianth and stamens united into or borne on a basal saucer or cup (the hypanthium) distinct from the ovary; more generally, around the base of the gynoecium, as a perigynous disk (Compare epigynous, hypogynous)

Persistent

Remaining attached

Petal

One division of the corolla

Petaloid

Petal-like

Petaliferous

Having petals

Petiolate

With a petiole

Petiole

The stalk of a leaf

Petiolule

The stalk of a leaflet of a compound leaf

-phile

Greek combining form, indicating loving; e.g., calciphile plants do best in calcareous soil

-phobe

Greek combining form, indicating hating or avoiding; e.g. calciphobe plants to not grow well in calcareous soil

Phreatophyte

A plant that characteristically has the major part of its root-system in soil permanently saturated with water, although there is no permanent standing water above the ground

Pilose

Covered with soft, distinct, thin hairs

Pilosulous

Minutely pilose

Pinna

One primary division of a pinnate leaf

Pinnate

Compound leaf with leaflets arranged on both sides of the axis; odd-pinnate if terminal leaflet is present, even-pinnate if terminal leaflet is absent

Pinnatifid

Cleft in a pinnate manner

Pinnatilobate

With pinnately arranged lobes

Pinnatisect

Pinnately divided to the midrib

Pinnipalmate

Intermediate between pinnate and palmate, as the venation of some leaves in which the first pair of lateral veins are much larger than the others

Pinnule

Diminutive of pinna; an ultimate leaflet of a compound leaf that is two or more times compound

Pinole

Finely ground flour made form parched corn; any of various flours resembling pinole and ground from seeds of other plants

Pistil

The seed-bearing organ of a flower; ovary, style, and stigma

Pistillate

Having pistils but no functional stamens

Pit

A small depression in a surface

Pith

The soft, spongy center of a stem

Placenta

A part of the ovary where ovules are attached

Placentation

Arrangement of ovules within the ovary

Plicate

Folded like a fan

-ploid

Pseudo-Greek suffix, used with a numerical prefix to indicate the umber of chromosome-complements in each cell, as haploid, diploid, triploid, etc.

Plume

An arrangement of hairs that resembles a feather

Plumose

Having fine, elongate hairs, featherlike

Pod

A dry, dehiscent fruit

Pollen

Grains borne in the anther, containing the male gametophyte

Pollinarium

The unit of pollen dispersed in the Asclepiadaceae, consisting of pollinia, translator, and corpusculum

Pollination

In angiosperms, the transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma; in gymnosperms, from the microsporangium to the micropyle

Pollinium (pl. pollinia)

A mass of coherent pollen grains (Orchidaceae, Asclepiadaceae)

Poly-

A Greek prefix meaning many

Polyandrous

Having many stamens

Polycarpellate, polycarpous, polycarpic

Having many carpels

Polygamodioecious

Dioecious plants having some perfect flowers

Polygamomonoecious

Monoecious plants having some perfect flowers

Polygamous

Having bisexual and unisexual flowers on the same plant

Polymorphic

Occurring in several different forms

Polypetalous

With the petals separate form each other. (Compare sympetalous)

Polyploid

With three or more chromosome-complements in each cell

Polysepalous

With the sepals separate from each other

Polystemonous

With many stamens

Pome

A fleshy fruit formed from an inferior ovary with several locules (apple)

Posterior

Literally, behind. The posterior side of a flower is the side toward the axis of the inflorescence, rather than the side toward the subtending bract; thus the upper lip of a bilabiate flower is the posterior lip (Compare anterior)

Precocious

Developing very early; with the flowers developing before the leaves (Compare coetaneous, serotinous)

Prehensile

Clasping

Prickle

A small, sharp outgrowth of epidermis

Primary branch

Arising directly from the main inflorescence axis

Procumbent

Lying or trailing on the ground

Prominent

Readily noticeable; projecting out beyond the surface

Prostrate

Lying flat on the ground

Proximal

Toward or at the base or the near end (Compare distal)

Pruinose

Having a bloom on the surface, a waxy, powdery secretion

Pseudo-

A Greek prefix meaning false

Puberulent

Minutely pubescent with hairs hardly visible

Pubescent

Covered with short, soft, downy hairs; a general term for any kind of hairiness

Pulvinate

Cushion-shaped

Pulvinus

The swollen base or a petiole

Punctate

Having colored or translucent dots, or pits

Pungent

Ending in a sharp, stiff point

Pustular, pustulate, pustulose

With little blisters or pustules

Pyramidal

Shaped like a pyramid

Pyriform

Pear-shaped

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EB-69, 1998