A: Words and Terms beginning with A




Category: Botanical Glossary | Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 10:31 pm

A

Glossary Index: http://www.gardenstew.com/blog/e10953-58-glossary-index---6323722611.html

Have a suggestion for a word or term? Please leave a comment below. Thank you,

Jerry


(37)

Abscisic acid(ABA): A hormone that assists the plant in coping during times of stress i.e. drought, extremes in temperature and exposure to salt water.
abscisic acid also inhibits seed germination.

Abscission: Triggered by the lack of chlorophyll abscission causes a plant to lose leaves or fruit usually in the fall.

Acclimatization: The adjustment by a plant to changes in its environment. Example: Temperature, light, humidity, or pH.

Achene: The dry fruit of a flowering plant containing one seed. Examples: clematis, acorn and sunflower

Acicular: A thin needle shaped leaf. Think of pine needles, each needle is a leaf with an acicular shape.
You will find this word in the Plants edit section under the leaf shape category.

Acidic (Strongly) <5.5: Less desirable as soil for many plants strongly acidic soil is often the result of acid rain, farm fertilizer or mining tailing runoff. However, plants like blueberries, rhododendrons and azaleas as well as white potatoes and conifer trees do well in strongly acidic soil.
You will find this term in the Plants edit section under the Soil pH category

Acidic (Medium) 5.5 - 5.9: Defines the H+ or Hydrogen ions in soluble water which in turn dictates the ability of plants to absorb nutrients. Plants have evolved over time to live in soil with a range of pH values.
You will find this term in the Plants edit section under the Soil pH category


Acidic (Slightly) 6.0 - 6.4: Defines the H+ or Hydrogen ions in soluble water which in turn dictates the ability of plants to absorb nutrients. Plants have evolved over time to live in soil with a range of pH values. Many plants do well in this range.
You will find this term in the Plants edit section under the Soil pH category


Acidic (Very slightly) 6.5 - 6.9: Defines the H+ or Hydrogen ions in soluble water which in turn dictates the ability of plants to absorb nutrients. Plants have evolved over time to live in soil with a range of pH values. Many plants do well in this range.
You will find this term in the Plants edit section under the Soil pH category


Acidic / Peaty: Soil as defined by the amount of Hydrogen ions. Acidity increases as the H+ increases. Plants are less able to absorb nutrients as the acidity of the soil increases. Yet some plants have evolved to do well in acidic soil.
You will find this word in the Plants edit section under the Soil Type category.

Aculeate: Having a sharp point or prickly as in a thorn or a bur

Acuminate: A leaf that tapers gradually to a point. Like an American Beech tree leaf.
You will find this word in the Plants edit section under the leaf shape category.

Adventitious Root: A root that grows from an unexpected location like a joint or leaf. Example: Philodendron

Aerial Plant: Originating or growing above the ground. Example: Tillandsia and Spanish Moss, an air plant.

Alkaline / Chalky: Soil with a pH above 7.0, often found in dryer climates.
You will find this word in the Plants edit section under the Soil Type category.

Alkaline (Very slightly) 7.1 - 7.5: Soil with an elevated amount of sodium compounds and a reduced amount of hydrogen ions.
You will find this term in the Plants edit section under the Soil pH category

Alkaline (Slightly)7.6 - 8.0: Soil where nutrients for plants are less available. Few plant nutrients devolve well above a pH of 7.5
You will find this term in the Plants edit section under the Soil pH category

Alkaline (Medium) 8.1 - 8.5: A soil with a moderate amount of sodium compounds and low amount of hydrogen ions
You will find this term in the Plants edit section under the Soil pH category

Alkaline (Strongly)>8.5: A poor clay type soil with a high concentration of sodium carbonate
You will find this term in the Plants edit section under the Soil pH category

Allelopathy: A defensive mechanism by plants wherein it produces chemicals to inhibit growth of other plants in proximity to itself. Examples are black walnut and hickory trees as well as other plants like sunflowers.
Reference: http://www.gardenstew.com/about32847.html

Alpine/Rock Garden: A garden display theme depicting the mountainous tundra found above the tree line.
You will find this term in the Plants edit section under the Suitable for category.

Alternate: A leaf arrangement where there is one leaf per node. Other arrangements are two or more leaves per node.An example:Barberry (Berberis thunbergii),Japanese zelkova (Zelkova serrata)
You will find this word in the Plants edit section under the leaf shape category.

Alpine:Plants that have adapted to the harsh conditions above the tree line in mountainous areas of the world.
You will find this word in the Plants edit section under the Plant Type category.

Angiosperms: A plant that has flowers and produces seeds enclosed within a carpel. The angiosperms are a large group and include herbaceous plants, shrubs, grasses, and most trees.

Anisotomic: branching of unequal diameters, with a large main branch and smaller adjacent branches

Annual: A plant who's life cycle from seed to propagation is accomplished in one growing season.
You will find this word in the Plants edit section under the Plant Type category.

Annular: Forming a ring or circle

Anthocyanins: Pigmentation that provides reds and purples in fruit and vegetables. Always present in leaves, the pigments show up in the fall as leaves stop making chlorophyll and photosynthesis ceases. Examples: apples, cherries, plums, beets, cabbage and blueberries to name a few. Suggested by Cayuga Morning.

Anisotomic: Branching of dissimilar size limbs, resulting in one large and several small branches

Annual Ring: Circular formations of spring and summer wood in the tree trunk indicating the yearly cycles.

Anthesis: The bloom period of a flower


Apical bud: The bud located at the topmost(apex) part of a plant.

Apical dominance: The process wherein the central shoot or stem of a plant or tree inhibits the growth of lateral stems in order to attain hight thus improving chances of more sunlight and improved photosynthesis.

Aquatic Plant: Plant species that grow in water: whose seeds germinate in water or in the bottom soil of bodies of water, usually having submersed or floating leaves.

Architectural: Plants that provide the permanent structure of a garden. While the plantings are often evergreens that add greenery for the winter months, deciduous bushes and trees also provide different shape,texture and color to the landscape during the summer months.
You will find this word in the Plants edit section under the Suitable For category.

Aristate: A leaf whose apex(the part away from the stem) comes to a stiff sharp point. Example: American Hackberry
You will find this word in the Plants edit section under the leaf shape category.

Autotrophic: A plant that supplies its own food by turning inorganic material into food. Example: process of photosynthesis


Last edited: Tue Sep 06, 2022 10:03 am

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Comments

carolyn wrote on Wed Nov 05, 2014 2:37 pm:


Jerry, nice way to refresh those of us who used to know these terms, but have forgotten them from the so few times we have needed them.




Cayuga Morning wrote on Sun Jan 04, 2015 10:39 pm:


Hi Jerry, I like having the definition of the various leaf shapes. I have never known what they all meant & thus can't fill out that portion of the plant descriptions.





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