Polygamous ; having some flowers perfect, and others either etaminate, pistillate, or neuter.
Polygynous ; when the pistils are numerous or indefinite. Polymorphous ; variable, assuming, or apt to assume, many different forms.
Potypetalous; having many distinct petals, or at least more than one.
Po ysepalous; having many distinct sepals, or more than one.
Pone. An apple; a fleshy fruit formed of several cartil aginous or bony carpels, imbedded in pulp and invested by the tube of the adherent calyx.
Pores ; small holes, or tubular openings.
Porous ; full of holes, cells, or tubular openings. Proemorse ; end-bitten; ending blunt. as if hitters off. Precocious flowers; appearing before the leaves.
Prickle. A sharp process arising from the bark only, and not originating in the wood.
Primary; first in a series in order of time, or in impor tance, opposed to secondary.
Primordial; fist• in order; usually applied to the first genuine leaves, or those which are next above the cotyle dons or seminal leaves.
'Prismatic; like a prism; having several tingles and inter mediate flat faces.
Process. A protuberance, eminence, or projecting part. Procumbent ; lying on the ground without putting forth roots.
Produced; extended, or lengthened out.
Proliferous; producing its like in an unusual way, as lateral bulbs; or putting forth a young and unusual accessory growth, from the centre of an umbel, flower, etc.
Prostrate; lying flat, or close on the ground.
Pruinose; covered with a glaucous mealiness, like a plum.
Pseudo pinnate ; falsely or imperfectly pinnate ; the leaflets (or rather segments) not articulated at base. (See Pia atisect.
Puberulent; covered with a minute, short and fine pu bescence.
Pubescence. A general term for the hairy covering of plants.
Pubescent; clothed N1 ith hairs, especially with short weak hairs.
Pulp. A soft. fleshy or juicy mass.
Pulverulent; dusty; composed of, or covered with a fine powder.
Punctate ; appearing as if pricked full of small holes, or covered with indented points.
Puncticulate; having very minute punctures, or indented points.
Pungent; sharp-pointed, prickly at apex; also acrid.
Pyramidal; tapering upwards; usually applied to four sided solids which diminish to the apex.
Pyriform . shaped like a pear; largest at the upper end. Quadrangular; four-angled.
Quadrifarious; in four rows or directions; facing or pointing four ways.
Quadrifid; four-cleft.
Quaternate; four together; arranged in fours.
Quina e; five together; arranged in fives.
Race of plants. A fixed or peculiar form or modification, produced by the crossing or blending of distinct varie ties ; or sometimes. perhaps, accidental forms rendered permanent by culture or other influences.
Raceme. A mode of flowering, in which the common peduncle is elongated, with the flowers on short lateral simple pudicels.
Racemose ; having the flowers iu racemes.
Rachis, or rhach.is. The common peduncles, or elongated receptacle, on which florets are collected in a spike; ale, the midrib of a pinuatisect frond.
Radiate; having rays (i. e. spreading ligulate florets) at the circumference; as the heads of many Composite:. Radiate-veined; where the veins of a leaf diverge from a common centre, or point, at the summit of the petiole. Radiatiform; a term applied to heads of compound flowers in which all the florets are ligulate, and directed towards the circumference.
Radical; belonging to, or growing immediately from, the ro .t Radicating; sending out roots, or striking root at the nodes.
Radicle. A little root; the slender fibrous branch of a root. Rameal; uertioning or belonging to the branches. Ramification. The branching or division of an organ into se veral parts.
Ramose; branching.
Rant. A row, or arranr-nent in a line.
Raphe. The line, or little on one side of anat rupons ri. e. inverted) ovules and seeds, formed by the adhesion of a portion of the funiculus.
Ratoon (Span. retono). A sprout from the root of a plant mach has been cut ofl (chiefly used in reference to th • sugar-cane.
Rays. The spreading ligulate florets round the disk of a compound flower; alto the footstalks, and enlarged flowers of an umbel.