Flora of North America Glossary
Displaying 1801-1825 of 2673
| Term | Synonyms | Category | Limitation | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| precocious | = early-maturing | maturation | structure | Maturing early in the growing season, or early relative to the developmental progress of its context. |
| presence | CHARACTER | Occurrence within the context in point. | ||
| present | presence | Occurring within the context in point. | ||
| prickle | STRUCTURE | Any unvascularized spine-like enation originating in the epidermis, cortex, or mesophyll of any shoot part. See also spine, thorn. | ||
| prickly | architecture | Bearing prickles. | ||
| primary axis | > ray | STRUCTURE | A main or first-order axis within any specified, uniformly delimited structural context. | |
| primary root | > taproot | STRUCTURE | The one, central root directly basal to a shoot, developing directly from the embryonic radicle; the first-formed root of a plant, being the only one truly central in nature (i.e., belonging to the original central axis of the plant). All other roots of a plant develop subsequently and are lateral in nature. The primary root may be permanently dominant, developing into a taproot; otherwise it may be transitory or become functionally subordinate, with secondary and/or adventitious roots becoming dominant. | |
| primary stem | = main stem; > bole, trunk | STRUCTURE | The one, or any of the more than one, first-order stem(s), or first-order portion(s) of the collective stem, of a shoot. | |
| primary vein | > costa, midnerve (not recommended), midrib, midvein, rib; >< lateral vein | STRUCTURE | A strand belonging to the first order of vasculature in a leaf or other basically laminar structure. See also secondary vein, tertiary vein, veinlet. | |
| primocane | STRUCTURE | A biennial or perennial stem before it has begun flowering, when the latter does not occur until at least its second season of growth; esp. in Rubus (Rosaceae). | ||
| prismatic | solid shape | Uniformly polygonal in transverse section, basally and apically truncate, all faces essentially plane. | ||
| procumbent | = prostrate, supine, trailing | habit | axis | Lying directly upon the substrate over its entire length. |
| prolate | plane shape | Symmetrically elongate parallel to the developmental or polar axis. | ||
| prolate | solid shape | Symmetrically elongate parallel to the developmental or polar axis. | ||
| proliferous | reproduction | plant, structure | Bearing plantlets, as from the leaf margin in some Kalanchoë (Crassulaceae). | |
| prominence | CHARACTER | Elevation or depression of a discrete feature relative to the surrounding surface. | ||
| prominent | < raised | prominence | Protruding above the general level of the surrounding surface. See also prominulous. | |
| prominulous | < raised | prominence | Diminutively prominent, protruding only slightly above the general level of the surrounding surface. | |
| prophyllar | insertion | Upon or otherwise directly associated with the prophylls (bracteoles, bractlets). | ||
| prophyllar | position | Upon or otherwise directly associated with the prophylls (bracteoles, bractlets). | ||
| prophyll(um) pl. prophylls, prophylla | = bracteole, bractlet; < bract | STRUCTURE | A second- or higher-order bract within, and subtending some portion of, an aggregate branching structure, especially when subtending a flower. | |
| prop root | STRUCTURE | A relatively stout adventitious root arising from the lower portion of a main stem and extending outward and downward toward the substrate, within which it ultimately becomes anchored, thus buttressing the aboveground portion of the plant. | ||
| prop-rooted | architecture | plant | Bearing and buttressed by prop roots. | |
| prostrate | = procumbent, supine, trailing | habit | axis | Lying directly upon the substrate over its entire length. |
| protandrous | = proterandrous; < dichogamous | maturation | bisexual flower | Having the androecium become functionally mature before the gynoecium. |
Displaying 1801-1825 of 2673