Copy of `NGA - Gardening terms`

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NGA - Gardening terms Category: Food and Drink > Fruit and veg Date & country: 31/07/2014, USA Words: 191

leaf
A plant structure consisting of an outgrowth arising from a stem or branch. Most leaves are green and contain chlorophyll.The primary function of a leaf is to capture sunlight for photosynthesis.

leaf blade
The broad, flat part of a leaf whose primary function is to capture sunlight for photosynthesis.

lenticel
A pore on the surface of young woody stems; provides a pathway for air to reach inner tissues.

lateral meristem
A region of actively-dividing cells located along the length of a root or stem; growth results in an increase in girth.

intercalary meristem
A meristem located between non-dividing tissues, such as near the base of a blade of grass.

hybrid
Offspring resulting from cross-breeding plants.

hybrid
Iin botany, offspring resulting from sexual reproduction between two plants; in horticulture, used to describe F1 crosses having mixed ancestry that are the products of plant breeding efforts, and do not grow true from seed.

hybrid vigor
The increase in vigor, size, fertility, or other positive characteristic of a hybrid compared with its parents.

incomplete dominance
Tthe relationship between two genes, neither of which fully masks the expression of the other.

homologous
Describes the two similar chromosomes that form a pair in a diploid cell.

herbaceous
Soft and green; describes primary growth tissues containing little or no woody growth.

hardening off
A process by which a plant is gradually acclimated to a new environment. The term often refers to the adjustment period necessary to allow indoor-grown plants to grow accustomed to the harsher (cooler, windier, sunnier) outdoor environment.

haploid
Describes cells in which the chromosomes occur singly (as opposed to occurring in pairs); reproductive cells are haploid. Often abbreviated as n.

guttation
Exudation of excess water; appears as droplets on the tips and margins of leaves.

glaucous
Describes a plant part with a visible bloom.

grafting
Propagation method in which two pieces of live plant tissue are united by placing their meristems in contact.

gravitropism
The bending of a plant organ in response to gravity; also called geotropism.

guard cells
Pairs of cells surrounding the stomata, or pores, on a leaf or stem. Swelling or shrinking of the guard cells opens or closes the stomata, depending on the needs of the plant and environmental conditions.

gibberellin
A plant growth regulator that controls the elongation of internodes.

geotropism
The bending of a plant organ in response to gravity; also called gravitropism.

generative cell
One of two cells that make up a pollen grain; upon successful pollination, it divides to form two sperm.

genetic engineering
The process of taking genetic material from one organism and inserting it into the nucleus of another organism, the result of which is an organism whose cells contain the introduced genes.

genera
The plural of genus.

gene
The basic unit of inheritance; occur along the chromosomes.

gametophyte generation
The phase of growth in which gametes, or sex cells, are produced.

fertilization
The successful union of egg and sperm.

fibrous root system
A root system consisting of highly branched, spreading roots.

flower
A specialized shoot of a plant bearing its reproductive structures.

fruit
The matured ovary of a plant; contains the seeds.

gametes
Haploid cells (egg and sperm), the fusion of which results in the creation of a new organism. Also called reproductive cells or sex cells.

family
A group or genera sharing similar characteristics.

essential amino acid
One of the eight amino acids the human body cannot synthesize, and therefore a vital nutrient in the human diet.

ethylene
A plant growth regulator produced by ripening tissues; stimulates cell walls to soften.

etiolation
The condition in which a plant has pale, underdeveloped leaves and extended internodes; ususally caused by insufficient light.

expression
The way a trait shows up in an organism.

embryo
Multi-celled structure resulting from the repeated cell division of the zygote.

endosperm
A temporary food storage tissue in seeds, created by the fusion of one sperm cell plus the two polar nucleu, and therefore often triploid.

epidermis
The outermost layer of cells on leaves, roots, and herbaceous stems.

epiphyte
A plant that grows on the body of another plant, but draws no nutrients from it.

disaccharide
A sugar made up of two monosaccharide molecules bound together; an example is sucrose, or table sugar.

division
A group of classes sharing similar characteristics.

dominant trait
A characteristic determined by a gene that hides, or masks, the comparable but recessive gene; this characteristic will be expressed if the dominant gene is present on one or both chromosomes.

element
A substance composed of one type of atom.

diploid
Describes cells in which the chromosomes occur in pairs; somatic cells, which make up the bulk of the cells in the plant body, are diploid. Often abbreviated as 2n.

cytoplasm
The liquid component of a plant cell in which various structures are suspended.

dark reaction
The second step in the process of photosynthesis, during which simple sugars are manufactured; light is not required.

day-neutral
Describes plants for which flower initiation is not dependent upon day length.

dicot
A class of angiosperms in which the seeds

dioecious
Describes plants in which the male and female flowers occur on separate plants.

cytokinin
A plant growth regulator that stimulates cell division.

cutting
Propagation method that involves inducing adventitious roots or shoots on a plant part.

cutin
The waxy substance that forms the cuticle layer, providing a protective coating on the epidermis of leaves, herbaceous stems, and fruit.

corm
Swollen leaf base enclosed in scale-like leaves, used for food storage and asexual propagation.

cotyledon
A food storage structure within a seed, which provides nourishment for the embryo during germination.

cultivar
Short for cultivated variety. A unique plant that is the result of breeding efforts by horticulturists. Written in single quotes in plain text after species name.

cuticle
A protective waxy coating on the epidermis of leaves, herbaceous stems, and fruit.

cork cambium
A type of lateral meristem located just under the bark that gives rise to new outer bark.

chromatin
The genetic material stored in a cell

chromosomes
Genetic material (chromatin) in a cell

class
A group of orders sharing similar characteristics.

cloning
The duplication of an organism by asexual means.

commensalism
Relationship of two or more organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected.

compound
A substance composed of one type of molecule.

chlorophyll
A green plant pigment; found in chloroplasts and necessary for photosynthesis.

chloroplasts
Structures found within some plant cells; they contain chlorophyll and are the sites of photosynthesis.

chlorotic
Describes abnormally pale, weak-looking foliage due to reduced chlorophyll content; often caused by a nitrogen or iron deficiency.

chilling requirement
The number of hours a plant must be exposed to temperatures between 32 and 45 before it will break dormancy.

cellulose
A large molecule made up of a chain of glucose molecules; found primarily in plant cell walls.

carbohydrate
An organic molecule consisting of a chain of glucose molecules; includes sugars, starches, and cellulose.

bulb
Modified stem consisting of fleshy leaf bases; used for food storage and asexual propagation.

binomial
Consisting of two names; for example, a botanical name consists of the genus name followed by the species epithet.

bio-engineered
Organisms created using genetic engineering.

bloom
A powdery, bluish-white coating on some plants

budding
A form of grafting in which a bud is inserted under the bark of another plant.

biennial
Describes a plant that grows for two years; it germinates and grows foliage the first season, and produces flowers and seeds the next season.

auxin
A plant growth regulator that controls cell elongation; important in many plant growth responses such as phototropism and geotropism.

atom
The basic unit of matter. The smallest unit into which a chemical element can be broken and still retain its characteristics.

asexual reproduction
Propagation by means of plant parts; examples include new plants generated by creeping stems, bulb offsets, and layering.

asexual propagation
Any means of multiplying plants that do not involve the union of gametes, and depend on mitotic, rather then meiotic, cell division.

annual
Describes a plant that germinates, grows, flowers, and produces seeds all in one growing season.

antitranspirants
A substance sprayed on plant leaves to reduce the rate of transpiration and conserve moisture.

apical bud
A bud at the uppermost tip of a stem.

apical dominance
The suppression of growth in lower buds and branches by the uppermost, or apical, bud.

apical meristem
A region of actively-dividing cells at the tip of a root or stem; growth results in an increase in length.

amino acid
Nitrogen-containing organic compounds; the building blocks from which proteins are formed.

allelopathy
A form of chemical protection in which a plant produces substances that inhibit the growth of nearby plants.

alternation of generations
Describes the phenomenon in the plant kingdom in which plants alternate between a sporophyte phase and a gametophyte phase.

abscisic acid
A plant growth regulator involved in the fruit ripening process.

adventitious root
Root that forms on shoot tissue.

adventitious shoot
Shoot that forms on root tissue.

alkaloids
Bitter-tasting compounds found in many plants, especially in the nightshade family (Solanaceae).