Present day terminology is mainly based on the works of Carl Linnaeus. The most recent glossaries are the result of surveys of terminology which have progressively added more terms and expressions to accommodate the needs for more precise observations (Stearn, 1973).
The amateur and the professional botanist often need to have either assistance, or a memory aid, to improve their botanical vocabulary. To satisfy their needs a glossary of botanical terms, particularly relating to their field of interest, is usually produced from the most recent of glossaries.
A
aberrant
unusual or exceptional; a plant or structure that varies from the normal or typical
abortive
arrested in development
acaulescent
stemless, or apparently so
accessory buds
buds, but more than on on an axil
acicular
needle-like
aculeate
set with prickles
acuminate
drawn out at the apex into a sharp point
acute
having an apex tapering at less than 90 degrees
adnate
adhering, united
adventitious
produced out of the usual or normal place, such as some roots or buds
adventive
growing spontaneously
aerial roots
roots produced above or out of the growing medium
aggregate
collected into one mass
alternate
not opposite or paired
amabilis, -e
lovely
ancipitous
compressed, flattened, two-edged
androgynous
having both male and female flowers on the same inflorescence; hermaphroditic
angiosperm
any plant of a class (angio sperma) having the seeds in a closed ovary
annual
a plant that completes its life from seed to death in a year
annulations
scars or traces left on the pseudobulb after the leaf bases have been shed
anosmus, -a, -um
having no scent
anther
the part of the stamen containing the pollen; the top part of the column
anther cap
the covering of the pollen masses on the flower's column
apex
the tip of the organ
aphid
a plant louse; plant-sucking insect
aphyllous
without leaves
apicule
a short pointed tip at the apex of a leaf or floral segment
apiculate
ending abruptly in a short sharp point
artificial hybrid
the off-spring of a man made cross between two dissimilar parents, that is, parents not of the same species or hybrid grex; any plant progeny produced with man as the pollinating agent
asexual
sexless; without involving sex, such as in vegetative propagation
asymbiotic
without symbiosis; referring to a method of germinating orchid seed without the presence of fungi
atropurpureus, -a, -um
dark purple
auricle
a small ear-like appendage or lobe
autogamus
self-fertilizing
awn
a bristle-like part or appendage; any small pointed process
axil
the angle between a branch and a leaf on the stem or axis from which it arises
axis
the main or central line of development of any plant or organ; the main stem
B
backbulb
an old pseudobulb, often without leaves but still alive and bearing one or more eyes, behind the actively growing portion of a sympodial orchid
back cross
a mating between orchid progeny and one of the original parents
bactericide
a chemical substance that destroys bacteria
barbate
bearded
biennial
two season's duration from seed to maturity and death
bifarious
arranged in two rows
bifoliate
having two leaves; two-leaved
bigeneric
involving two distinct genera in the parentage; applied to hybrids
biggibus, -a, -um
having two small protuberances
bisexual
two-sexed; with both stamens and pistils
bilobate
two-lobed
botanical
a term designating any species or genus or orchid which is not grown commercially for its flowers
bract
a reduced leaf-like or scale-like organ embracing the base or the stem of a flower
bulbose
inflated at the base; with a bulb
C
callus
a thickened part; usually referring to various ornaments on the labellum
calcarate
spurred
canaliculate
longitudinally channeled; striated, with longitudinal grooves
carnose
fleshy
caudicle
a slender, mealy or elastic extension of the pollinium, part of the pollen mass and produced within the anther
ciliate
fringed with fine hair-like structures
clavate
shaped like a club
claw
narrow basal part of petal, or as part of the midlobe in Orchidaceae the conspicuously narrow or contracted portion which forms the narrow base of the midlobe
cleistogamous
fertilized within the unopened flower
cliandrium
a small hollow near the apex of the column in which the anther sits
column
the central part of the orchid flower, formed from the fusion of the stamens and the styles
conduplicate
foled lengthwise along the middle
cordate
heart-shaped
coriaceous
leathery
corm
a thick, underground stem usually of several internodes
corolla
ring of petals protecting reproductive organs
crenulate
with tiny rounded teeth along the margin
cuculate
hood-shaped
cuneate
wedge-shaped as in a leaf base with gradual tapering sides
cymbiform
boat-shaped
D
deciduous
falling off, shedding leaves at maturity or at the end of the growing season
dehiscent
opening
disc
the central, basal part of the labellum from which the lobes radiate
discoid
round and flattened in shape
distal
furthest from the axis or base
distichous
arranged in two rows or ranks
divaricate
spreading away from each other in different directions
dorsal
on most orchids the dorsal sepal is the upper one; at the back
E
emarginate
with an indentation, usually at the apex
endemic
confined to the area concerned
equitant
said of con-duplicate leaves which overlap each other in two ranks
erose
jagged, as if gnawed; having a ragged edge
F
falcate
curved like a scythe
filiform
thread-like
fimbriate
fringed with long hairs
foliate
5-foliate means with 5 leaves
fusiform
spindle shaped; rounded and tapering from the middle towards each end
G
galeate
helmet-shaped
glabrous
smooth, without hairs
glabrescent
becoming glabrous, more or less without hairs
globose
habing the shape of a globe
H
habitat
area or region where a plant naturally lives
hastate
triangular with diverging basal lateral lobes
holotype
type specimen
hybrid
artificially created plant from crossing two related species or hybirds
I
inflorescence
the arrangement of the flowers, used to collectively include the flowers, the rhachis and the peduncle
imbricate
overlapping like roof tiles
internode
part of stem between two nodes or joints
K
keel
a longitudinal raised ridge or vein
L
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
linguate
tongue-shaped
lithophytic
a plant that grows on rocks
lip
the lip-like third petal of an orchid flower, the labellum
lobe
a rounded projection of part of a leaf or other organ
M
merous
x-merous x-parts in each whorl of floral organs
mentum
a chin-like projection formed by the sepals and extended foot of the column
N
nectary
a nectar-producing structure and gland
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
node
part of stem which bears flower or leaf
non
not
O
obcordate
narrow at the base and terminating with two rounded lobes; the opposite of cordate
oblanceolate
similar to lanceolate, but attached at the narrow end
oblong
longer than broad with parallel sides
obovate
reversed ovate
obtuse
blunt or rounded at apex
ob-
in front of a shape description means a reversal of the shape
oblong
broad shape but longer than wide and with parallel sides
oblong-lanceolate
half-way between the two shapes involved
obtuse
not acute at the apex, blunt
orbicular
round and flat in shape
outcrossing
mating unrelated parents
ovary
female part of flowers containing the ovule or ovules
ovate
flat surface about twice as long as wide with broader end well below middle - egg-shaped in plan
ovoid
egg-shaped (a three-dimensional figure)
P
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
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
plicate
folded back and forth
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
(pl. pollinia)
grains massed together
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'
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
R
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)
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
rhizome
a horizontal stem, sometimes root-like in appearance, from which the roots arise and the apex of which progressively sends up stems/leaves
rhomboid
diamond-shaped an equilateral but not right-angled parallelogram
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
S
saccate
pouch- or bag-shaped
saprophyte
living on dead organic matter, rather than through photosynthesis
sensu
in the sense of some author
sepal
flower leaf
sericeous
silky pubescent
sinuous
with an outline or margin strongly wavy
spathe
a large bract completely covering an organ
spathulate
spoon-shaped
spur
a tubular expansion, resembling a cock's spur in form, of a sepal or petal, usually producing nectar
stamen
male organ of a flower
staminode
abortive stamen or organ resembling it, without an anther
stellate
resembling a star's rays
stigma
that portion of the column which is receptive to the pollen
stipe
a non-viscid band or strap of tissue that connects the pollinia to the viscidium
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
T
taxon
a taxonomic group of any rank (e.g. (pl. taxa)species, genus, tribe)
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
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)
U
umbel
flowers and pedicels of approximately equal length arising from near the apex of the peduncle
V
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
