Botanical Nerd Word: Fasciated
Fasciated: Compressed into a bundle or band; grown closely together; with the stems malformed and flattened as if several separate stems had been fused together.* One of the Berberis in the …
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Botanical Nerd Word: Umbo
Umbo: A blunt or rounded protuberance, as on the ends of the scales of some pine cones. Some pines have very pronounced umbos that can be quite prickly. *Harris, J.G., …
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Botanical Nerd Word: Lamina
Lamina: The usually flattened, blade-like portion of a leaf, as distinct from the petiole and leaf base. The shape of the lamina and the nature of its margin are important taxonomic …
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Botanical Nerd Word: Pepo
Pepo: Unilocular berry with hard exocarp, characteristic of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae).* The pumpkin is a classic example of a pepo. In fact, the species most often used to make jack-o-lanterns …
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Botanical Nerd Word: Hysteranthous
Hysteranthous: Of plants: Having the flowers appearing before the leaves.* This Colchicum produces flowers in the fall but its leaves won’t appear until next spring. *OED Online. Oxford University Press, June 2017.
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Botanical Nerd Word: Capitulum
Capitulum: An inflorescence of sessile flowers borne on a flattened and expanded portion of the inflorescence axis; the inflorescence of the sunflower family (Asteraceae).* All the fall asters (Symphyotrichum spp.) …
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Botanical Nerd Word: Polystachyous
Polystachyous: With many spikes, as in a grass with many ears or spikes.* Moor grass (Molinia) growing in the Arrival Courtyard. *Harris, J.G., Harris, M.W. (2001). Plant identification terminology: An illustrated …
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Botanical Nerd Word: Infructescence
Infructescence: Branched or unbranched axis upon which fruits are arranged.* A plant’s infructescence follows the form of its inflorescence (arrangement of flowers). *Pell, S.K., Angell, B. (2016). A botanist’s vocabulary: 1300 …
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Botanical Nerd Word: Ballistic dispersal
Ballistic dispersal: (syn. ballochory) Mode of dispersal by which the diaspores are actively or passively catapulted away from the plant. This can either happen arbitrarily or be set off by an …
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Botanical Nerd Word: Epizoochory
Epizoochory: The inadvertent dispersal of seeds on the outside of animals. Dog owners are well aware of the dreaded burs that become entangled in their dog’s fur during a walk. …
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