Botanical Nerd Word: Vagile
Vagile: (From Latin vagus wandering, straying). Of an organism or group of organisms: having the ability to disperse or be dispersed in an environment.* The…
Author Archives: Weston Family Library
Botanical Nerd Word: Etiolated
Etiolated: Of a plant or plant part: in a state of etiolation; esp. weakened and abnormally pale as a result of being grown in darkness…
Botanical Nerd Word: Syconium
Syconium: A multiple fruit developed from numerous flowers imbedded in a fleshy receptacle, as in the fig.* The fruits on the Ficus carica (hardy fig) are…
Botanical Nerd Word: Biophilia
Biophilia: A love of or empathy with the natural world, especially when seen as a human instinct.* These monarchs were spotted enjoying the Entry Garden Walk…
Botanical Nerd Word: Flavescent
Flavescent: Yellow, or becoming yellow.* These Cercis canadensis (redbud) leaves are just beginning to take on their yellow fall colour. *Allaby, M. (2006). A dictionary of…
Botanical Nerd Word: Areola
Areola: The area or organ from which spines, flowers, or new branches appear.* The term areola can also refer to any small, well-defined space such as…
Botanical Nerd Word: Hydrophobic
Hydrophobic: Tending to repel, or not to absorb, water.* Impatiens capensis, commonly known as jewelweed or touch-me-not, has hydrophobic leaves. Water drops bead on the surface after…
Botanical Nerd Word: Secund
Secund: Arranged on one side of the axis only.* The individuals flowers of goldenrod grow along the top side of the stems. *Harris, J.G., Harris,…
Botanical Nerd Word: Trichome
Trichome: A hair or hair-like outgrowth of the epidermis.* The leaves of Tillandsias (air plants) are covered in trichomes. The tiny hairs absorb water directly into…
Botanical Nerd Word: Silique
Silique: A dry, dehiscent fruit of the Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) typically more than twice as long as wide, with two valves separating from the persistent placentae and…