Glossary

Achene:  

The seed.

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Androgynous: 

Staminate flowers on top of spikes containing both staminate pistillate flowers.

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Aphyllopodic:

A term used for describing sedges with culms that have lower leaves that are bladeless.

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Ascending:

Growing or curving upward at a 40 to 60 degree angle.

Auricle:

Ear-shaped appendages that are located at the top of the leaf sheath.  They often occur in pairs.

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Awn:

Stiff bristle on the top of a bract or scale.

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Barbellate:

Having fine barbs, usually down the side of a structure.

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Beak:

Hard firm projetion on the perigynia.

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Bidentate:

Having two teeth.

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Bract:

Modified leaf located near a flower or the inflorescence. (See figure for Bractlet)

Bractlet or Bracteole:

A secondary bract located on the pedicel of a flower.


^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Bristle:

 A stiff hairlike structure.


^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Caudate:

Having a slender tail-like appendage

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Culms:

A term used for the stem of grasses, sedges and rushes.

Elliptic:

Shape that is widest in the center and two equal ends.

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Ellipsoid:

Solid body with an elliptic outline (see figure of elliptic for shape).

Gynaecandrous: 

Pistillate flowers on top of spikes containing bot h staminate and pistillate flowers.

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Glaberous: 

Smooth with no hairs present.

Inflorescence: 

The flowering part of the plant (flower cluster).

Laceolate:

Shaped like a lance.  Several times longer than wide and a broad base that tapers to the top.

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Ligule: 

A membranous projection that extends up from inside of a grass sheath where it meets the blade.

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Obconic:

Shaped like an inverse cone that attaches at the pointed end.

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Obovoid:

Shaped like an inverse egg.  The point of attachment is the narrow end.

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Penduncle: 

The stalk to an inflorescence or solitary flower.

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Perigynia: 

The bract in the pistillate flower that completely surrounds the pistil.  In most species it is inflated.

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Persistent:

Used as the opposite of deciduous.  Refers to the structure that remain attached after similar structures fall off.

Pistillate:

Bearing pistils only.

Rosette:

A dense basal cluster of leaves that are arranged in a circular cluster.

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Rhizome:

A long elongated stem that grows beneath and parallel to the surface of the ground. 

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Scabrous:

Rough or harsh to the touch.  Usually due to short, stiff hairs or short, sharp projections.  To test run finger lightly over the surface.

Septate-nodulose:

Longitudinal veins or nearves that have lateral veins that connect to divide the leaf to form a net like appearance.

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Sessile:

Without a stalk.  Creates the appearance that the spike or inflorescence grows directly from the culm.

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Staminate: 

Bearing stamens only.

Tawny:

Dull yellow color with a hint of brown.

Tepal:

One of the parts of the outer whorl of the floral envelope.


^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Trigonous:

Three-angled (triangular in shape).

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Triquetrous:

Having 3 sharp angles and concave or channeled sides.

^{Drawing by Nicole Abel}

Tuber-bearing:

Having small round structures that are often pimple like


Literature Cited

^{Nikki Wiefling}

^{nikki.wiefling at amec.com}

^{Last modified 20 July 2008}