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Orchids PNG - Orchids glossary Category: Animals and Nature > Orchid terms Date & country: 04/08/2014, UK Words: 193

velamen
spongy tissue that surrounds the roots

viscidium
a viscid part of the rostellum which is clearly defined and removed with the pollinia as a unit to attach the pollinia to the pollinator

zygomorphic
bilaterally symmetrical

tridentate
three-toothed

truncate
ending abruptly as though cut off

tunicate
having separable membranous coats or sheaths

type
the original specimen from which a new taxon was described (an abbreviation of holotype)

umbel
flowers and pedicels of approximately equal length arising from near the apex of the peduncle

tepal
petal or sepal

terminal
inflorescence that occurs at the tip of the stem

theca
the lateral half of an anther

tomentose
uniformly covered with fine hairs scarcely visible to the naked eye

trapeziform
shaped like a trapezium, i.e. foursided, but with one pair of sides parallel

trapezoid
a quadrilateral shape with 4 straight lines no 2 of which are parallel

taxon
a taxonomic group of any rank (e.g. (pl. taxa)species, genus, tribe)

striate
striped

subcylindrical
almost cylindrical

subequal
almost equal

subfalcate
almost falcate

suborbiculate
almost orbiculate

subtriangular
almost triangular

sympodial
'growing on may feet', pseudobulbs connected by rhizomes

stipe
a non-viscid band or strap of tissue that connects the pollinia to the viscidium

stigma
that portion of the column which is receptive to the pollen

stellate
resembling a star's rays

stamen
male organ of a flower

staminode
abortive stamen or organ resembling it, without an anther

spathulate
spoon-shaped

spur
a tubular expansion, resembling a cock's spur in form, of a sepal or petal, usually producing nectar

spathe
a large bract completely covering an organ

sinuous
with an outline or margin strongly wavy

sepal
flower leaf

sericeous
silky pubescent

sensu
in the sense of some author

rostellum
an organ usually formed from the uppermost margin of the stigma and to which the pollinia usually adhere to after the flower opens

rostrum
a beak-like extension of the anther which assists in gluing the pollinia to the pollinator

rugose
wrinkled

rupicilous
growing amongst rocks

saccate
pouch- or bag-shaped

saprophyte
living on dead organic matter, rather than through photosynthesis

rhomboid
diamond-shaped an equilateral but not right-angled parallelogram

rhizome
a horizontal stem, sometimes root-like in appearance, from which the roots arise and the apex of which progressively sends up stems/leaves

reniform
kidney-shaped

resupinate
refers to upside-down position of the flower caused by a twisting of the ovary or pedicel so that the column is above the labellum

retinaculum
another name for viscidium

retuse
rounded at the end, but with a broad shallow notch in the center

pseudobulb
a thickened and bulb-like internode or group of internodes in the stem of an orchid

puberulous
covered with short hairs (indicates a less coarse indumentum than pubescent)

pubescent
covered with short soft hairs

raceme
an unbranched inflorescence of pedicellate flowers those at the bottom opening first rhachis (rachis) the axis of an inflorescence of a compound leaf (usually excluding the petiole of which it is a continuation)

population
(1) genetically, a group of individuals related by common descent and treated as a unit for convenience. There is no definite to size or amount of variability contained within. (2) statistically a group of homogenous observations or individuals on which such observations are made

pollinium
a large group of pollen

porrect
directed outward and forward

provenance
the ultimate natural origin of a plant species or group of plants of one species. Synonymous with 'geographic origin'

plicate
folded back and forth

pedicel
stalk of an individual flower

peduncle
stalk of an inflorescence or of a solitary flower

pendulous
hanging down loosely

petal
floral leaves

petiole
stalk by which the leaf is attached to the stem

ovoid
egg-shaped (a three-dimensional figure)

panicle
flowers or pedicels spaced along branches of a compoundly branched lengthened axis

paniculate
branching

papillose
covered with minute protuberances

paramorph
any taxonomic variant within a species; used particularly when, because of lack of data, its status cannot be defined more precisely

ovate
flat surface about twice as long as wide with broader end well below middle - egg-shaped in plan

ovary
female part of flowers containing the ovule or ovules

orbicular
round and flat in shape

outcrossing
mating unrelated parents

obtuse
blunt or rounded at apex

obtuse
not acute at the apex, blunt

oblanceolate
similar to lanceolate, but attached at the narrow end

oblong
broad shape but longer than wide and with parallel sides

oblong
longer than broad with parallel sides

oblong-lanceolate
half-way between the two shapes involved

obovate
reversed ovate

obcordate
narrow at the base and terminating with two rounded lobes; the opposite of cordate

ob-
in front of a shape description means a reversal of the shape

merous
x-merous x-parts in each whorl of floral organs

nectary
a nectar-producing structure and gland

node
part of stem which bears flower or leaf

nom. illegit.
nomen illegitum, illegitimate name; a name contravening the Rules of Botanical Nomenclature and hence not usable by those who wish to be correct

non
not

lobe
a rounded projection of part of a leaf or other organ

mentum
a chin-like projection formed by the sepals and extended foot of the column

lithophytic
a plant that grows on rocks

linguate
tongue-shaped

lip
the lip-like third petal of an orchid flower, the labellum

internode
part of stem between two nodes or joints

keel
a longitudinal raised ridge or vein

labellum (lip)
a modified petal in Orchidaceae usually different in shape, surface and vestiture as to attract pollinators

lamina
the blade or the expanded part of the leaf or flower

lanceolate
spear-shaped, broadest at base, narrow and gradually acute at apex

lateral
at the side of it

linear
long and narrow with more or less parallel edges

inflorescence
the arrangement of the flowers, used to collectively include the flowers, the rhachis and the peduncle

imbricate
overlapping like roof tiles

hybrid
artificially created plant from crossing two related species or hybirds

hastate
triangular with diverging basal lateral lobes

holotype
type specimen