FIELDS, MEADOWS, AND MARSHES 127 effloresce to blossom, bloom.
elliptic shaped like an ellipse, wide in the middle, tapered at both ends, as a leaf or petal.
evergreen a plant whose leaves remain green all year.
eye a mark or spot in the middle of the flower, prominent and of a different color from the rest of the flower.
filament the stalk of a stamen.
flora the native plants of a region.
floret any small flower, also known as a floweret.
gland any secreting organ of a plant.
head a dense cluster of stalkless flowers.
heliotropic of or any of the various plants that turn toward or follow the sun's path across the sky, relating to a condition also known as the phototropic response.
horticulture the art and science of cultivating plants, particularly ornamentals.
hortus siccus a collection of dried plants; a herbarium.
humus decomposed, dead vegetation.
hydroponics a soil-less growing method in which plant roots are bathed in dissolved nutrients.
lip an irregularly sized petal on an unequally divided corolla.
midrib the main or central vein of a leaf.
nosegay a small bouquet of flowers.
ornamental a plant growth for the purpose of decoration; a beautiful plant.
palmate a plant with lobes or leaves that spread out as the extended fingers of a hand.
perennial describing a plant with a life span or more than two years; a plant that lives on season after season.
photosynthesis the process through which plants convert sunlight to energy and synthesize organic compounds from inorganic ones.
phototropism the growth or movement of a plant in response to sunlight.
pistil the female organ of a flower, which develops into a fruit.
pollen tiny grains containing the male germ cells, released by the anthers of flowering plants.
pollen count the average number of ragweed pollen grains in a specific volume of air over a 24-hour period, used as a scale to estimate the severity of hayfever attacks.
pollen tube the thin tube emitted by a grain of pollen that infiltrates an ovule and fertilizes it.
pollinate to transfer pollen from an anther to a stigma for the purpose of fertilization.
pome any fruit with a papery, inner chamber containing the seeds, such as an apple.
pubescent having leaves or stems that are covered with fine hairs.
raceme a cluster of flowers in which each flower blooms on a short stalk arising at different points on a common stem.
ray flower any of the flat, strap-shaped flowers crowning the heads of composite flowers, such as daisies. Also known as a ray floret.
rosette a circle of leaves lying nearly flat on the ground.
saprophytic living on dead organic matter, as a plant.
scurfy covered with small scales.
sepal the leaflike green segments forming under the corolla.
slip a cutting from a plant used for grafting or planting; also known as a scion.
spadix a dense spike of flowers.
spathe a large bract surrounding or enclosing a flower cluster.
spatulate having leaves that are spoon-shaped with a rounded tip tapering to a stalk tip.
spike a spike-shaped cluster of flowers.
stamen the male element of a flower, consisting of a filament and pollen-bearing anther.
stigma the top of the pistil where pollen is received.
throat the opening into the tube of a corolla or calyx.
tropophyte a plant adapted to extreme weather changes.
umbel a flower cluster in which each flower stalk rises from the same or nearly the same point.
woolly covered with tangled hairs.
fog
advection fog fog resulting from air being cooled by horizontal movement; the passing of cool air over warm water causes the advection fog known as steam fog or sea smoke to form. Most maritime fogs, however, are caused by warm, humid air passing over cooler water.
dew point the temperature at which air becomes saturated; further cooling beyond the dew point causes condensation and fog.
pogonip fog containing ice crystals.
rime freezing fog that deposits frost.
gardens and landscaping
AAS see All America Selections.
accent plant usually a bold, colorful, or "interesting" plant that acts as a focal point for the rest of the garden.
aeration turning over soil or creating small holes in it in order to expose it to air.
alkaline soil soil with a pH level of 7 or more. Also known as sweet soil.
All America Selections new, award-winning culti- vars of flowers and vegetables rigorously tested by a group of horticulturists.
allelopathy the chemical warfare launched by some plants to prevent the growth of competing plants nearby.
allee in a French garden, a tree-lined walk or avenue.
amend to correct or improve poor soils, by adding nutrients, drainage materials, etc.
annual a plant that grows only for one season then dies.
arbor a latticework structure on which vines or climbing roses are trained to grow.
arboretum a type of museum where plants and trees, especially rare ones, are grown, studied, and displayed.
balled and burlap of a plant, sold with its roots wrapped in burlap.
bedding the planting of established (already grown) plants together in a group.
berceau an arched trellis over a walkway.
berm a mound of earth, created to control runoff, improve privacy, or raise a plant bed.
biennial a plant that grows only leaves in its first season and then blooms and seeds in its second, after which it dies. Foxglove and hollyhocks are biennial plants.
bonemeal fertilizer made from ground animal bones, used to improve root growth.
bonsai the Japanese art of dwarf tree and shrub cultivation. Also, the dwarf plants themselves.
border garden a garden of flowers, herbs, shrubs, etc., grown along the perimeter of a property.
bosquet a grove of trees in a park. Also known as a bosco.
bottle garden a terrarium created in a bottle.
bower a recess shaded with leafy plants.
boxwood an evergreen shrub often trimmed to form hedges, borders, or mazes. Also known as box.
broadcast to spread or scatter seed over a wide area.
broderie plants trimmed with embroidery-like designs. Also known as ricami.
cane any major stem of a raspberry, blackberry, rose, or bamboo plant.
capsule a dry seed pod that bursts when fully mature.
chaniwa a Japanese tea garden.
clairvoyee a windowlike hole cut into a hedge.
cloche a transparent cover used to protect plants from frost or insect damage.
clone an exact genetic copy of a plant.