Word of the Week: Galochrous
Galochrous: Milk-white in colour. Galanthus (snowdrops) are blooming in the garden. The genus name Galanthus comes from Greek gala, milk + anthos, flower. Allaby, M. (2006). A dictionary…
Author Archives: Weston Family Library
Word of the Week: Stylet
Stylet: Any sharp, piercing, needle-like organ such as those that form the mouth parts of bugs, fleas, and mosquitoes.* Mealy bugs, scale insects, and aphids…
Word of the Week: Anthesis
Anthesis: 1. The time of flowering in a plant. 2. The opening of a flower bud.* Anthesis for these crocuses is right about now! *Allaby,…
Word of the Week: Imbricate
Imbricate: Overlapping like roofing shingles; in conifers, used for tightly pressed scale leaves of many Cupressaceae and Podocarpaceae.* The arborvitae (Thuja) above, a member of…
Word of the Week: Samara
Samara: A dry, indehiscent, winged fruit.* Tulip trees (Liriodendron tulipifera), maples (Acer spp.), and many other plants produce samaras, commonly referred to as ‘keys.’ Tulip trees, pictured…
Word of the Week: Elaiosome
Elaiosome (e-lay-o-zome): (Greek: elaion=oil + soma=body) literally meaning ‘oil body.’* A structure on the surface of a seed that secretes and stores oil, usually as…
Word of the Week: Hilum
Hilum: The scar on a seed that marks the point at which it was attached to the plant.* Bean seeds have very obvious hilums. From left…
Word of the Week: Velamen
Velamen: The thick sponge-like covering of the roots of epiphytic orchids which helps prevent water loss and aids in absorption.* *Allikas, G. & Nash, N….
Word of the Week: Zygomorphic
Zygomorphic: Bilaterally symmetrical, so that a line drawn through the middle of the structure along only one plane will produce a mirror image on either…
Word of the Week: Lenticel
Lenticel: A pore in the stem of a woody plant, showing as a raised spot that may be filled with a powdery substance. The pore permits…