Descriptionary

pollinate to transfer pollen from an anther to a stigma for the purpose of fertilization.

pome any fruit with a papery, inner chamber con­taining the seeds, such as an apple.

pubescent having leaves or stems that are covered with fine hairs.

raceme a cluster of flowers in which each flower blooms on a short stalk arising at different points on a common stem.

ray flower any of the flat, strap-shaped flowers crowning the heads of composite flowers, such as daisies. Also known as a ray floret.

rosette a circle of leaves lying nearly flat on the ground.

saprophytic living on dead organic matter, as a plant.

scurfy covered with small scales.

sepal the leaflike green segments forming under the corolla.

slip a cutting from a plant used for grafting or plant­ing; also known as a scion.

spadix a dense spike of flowers.

spathe a large bract surrounding or enclosing a flower cluster.

spatulate having leaves that are spoon-shaped with a rounded tip tapering to a stalk tip.

spike a spike-shaped cluster of flowers.

stamen the male element of a flower, consisting of a filament and pollen-bearing anther.

stigma the top of the pistil where pollen is received.

throat the opening into the tube of a corolla or calyx.

tropophyte a plant adapted to extreme weather changes.

umbel a flower cluster in which each flower stalk rises from the same or nearly the same point.

woolly covered with tangled hairs.

fog

advection fog fog resulting from air being cooled by horizontal movement; the passing of cool air over warm water causes the advection fog known as steam fog or sea smoke to form. Most maritime fogs, how­ever, are caused by warm, humid air passing over cooler water.

dew point the temperature at which air becomes saturated; further cooling beyond the dew point causes condensation and fog.

pogonip fog containing ice crystals.

rime freezing fog that deposits frost.

gardens and landscaping

AAS see All America Selections.

accent plant usually a bold, colorful, or "interest­ing" plant that acts as a focal point for the rest of the garden.

aeration turning over soil or creating small holes in it in order to expose it to air.

alkaline soil soil with a pH level of 7 or more. Also known as sweet soil.

All America Selections new, award-winning culti- vars of flowers and vegetables rigorously tested by a group of horticulturists.

allelopathy the chemical warfare launched by some plants to prevent the growth of competing plants nearby.

allee in a French garden, a tree-lined walk or avenue.

amend to correct or improve poor soils, by adding nutrients, drainage materials, etc.

annual a plant that grows only for one season then dies.

arbor a latticework structure on which vines or climbing roses are trained to grow.

arboretum a type of museum where plants and trees, especially rare ones, are grown, studied, and displayed.

balled and burlap of a plant, sold with its roots wrapped in burlap.

bedding the planting of established (already grown) plants together in a group.

berceau an arched trellis over a walkway.

berm a mound of earth, created to control runoff, improve privacy, or raise a plant bed.

biennial a plant that grows only leaves in its first season and then blooms and seeds in its second, after which it dies. Foxglove and hollyhocks are biennial plants.

bonemeal fertilizer made from ground animal bones, used to improve root growth.

bonsai the Japanese art of dwarf tree and shrub cul­tivation. Also, the dwarf plants themselves.

border garden a garden of flowers, herbs, shrubs, etc., grown along the perimeter of a property.

bosquet a grove of trees in a park. Also known as a bosco.

bottle garden a terrarium created in a bottle.

bower a recess shaded with leafy plants.

boxwood an evergreen shrub often trimmed to form hedges, borders, or mazes. Also known as box.

broadcast to spread or scatter seed over a wide area.

broderie plants trimmed with embroidery-like designs. Also known as ricami.

cane any major stem of a raspberry, blackberry, rose, or bamboo plant.

capsule a dry seed pod that bursts when fully mature.

chaniwa a Japanese tea garden.

clairvoyee a windowlike hole cut into a hedge.

cloche a transparent cover used to protect plants from frost or insect damage.

clone an exact genetic copy of a plant.

cold frame a large box constructed as a miniature greenhouse, with a glass cover over a soil bed where plants can be protected and grown during frost season.

cole crops all crops in the cabbage family, includ­ing broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, and kohlorabi.

common name a name by which a plant is known to the public, as opposed to its botanical name.