IPW 8-Carnivorous Plant Copyright by Makoto Honda

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Carnivorous Plants in the Wilderness

by Makoto Honda

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Glossary

Glossary - in alphabetical order

A
abaxial cf. adaxial		underside of a leaf, facing away from the stem.
actinomorphic cf. zygomorphic		radially symmetric flowers.
action potential		an electrical pulse (with a duration of 1ms or so) that travels along the cell membrane, transmitting a signal from one cell to another, to coordinate some activities. The nervous system of animals use action potentials for communication between neurons and to transmit information to other tissues. Many plants generate action potentials also. In plants, the generation of an action potential is associated with the flow of potassium (K+) and calcium (Ca++), while in animals the flow of potassium (K+) and sodium (Na+) are used. An action potential is caused by positive ions moving in and out of a particular cell.....
adaxial cf. abaxial		upper side of a leaf, facing toward the stem.
anthesis		period during which a flower is receptive for fertilization.
arachnid		joint-legged creatures such as spiders, scorpions, ticks and mites.
arthropod		the largest phylum of animals (including insects, arachnids, crustaceans, etc) characterized by their segmented body and chitinous exoskeleton.

C
chasmogamous cf. cleistogamous		flowers that open normally to allow for pollination.
chitin		main component of the exoskeletons of arthropods, such as insects.
cleistogamous cf. chasmogamous		flowers that never open (but self-pollinate).
commensal
crustacean		majority are aquatic, such as crabs, lobsters, shrimp.
cultivar		"cultivated variety" registered with a registration authority, such as International Carnivorous Plants Society.

D
decumbent		leaf reclining on the ground.
digestion		process whereby complex molecules are broken down into smaller structures for absorption (carried out in the digestive system, usually in animals).
dioecious cf. monoecious		having male and female flowers on separate plants.
Diptera		insect order characterized by the presence of a single pair of wings, including true flies, mosquitoes, gnats, midges.

E
endemic		native only to a certain region.
ensiform		having a shape of a sword.
entire		having a smooth edge without teeth or lobes.
enzyme		protein that accelerates a specific chemical reaction (without altering itself).
epiascidiate		type of leaf whose upper surface curls around and fuses to form a tube.
epidermis cf. mesophyll		the outermost layer of cells covering a leaf surface.

G
gemma		bud-like structure formed in the rosette center, as in pygmy sundews, that develop into a new plant (pl. gemmae).

H
herbaceous		plants with a non-woody stem, dies back every year. A herb.
hibernaculum		protective buds made of small, tightly packed leaves which tolerates cold and desiccation (pl. hibernacula).
homology		similarity in characters due to common ancestry.
hydrolytic		enzyme which acts only in the presence of water.

I
inflorescence		cluster of flowers on a stalk.
Inquiline		animals that use another species for housing without hurting the host, a la microorganisms in the pitcher plant pool.
Invertebrate cf. vertebrate		animals without backbones.

L
lamina cf. petiole		leaf blade.

M
mesophyll cf. epidermis		cells in the leaf interior that perform photosynthesis.
monoecious cf. dioecious		having separate male and female flowers on the same plant.

N
nastic cf. tropistic		movement toward a predetermined direction.

O
ontogeny		developmental change of an organism.

P
panicle		compound raceme.
pedicel cf. peduncle		short stem holding each flower in an inflorescence.
peduncle cf. pedicel		main stalk of an inflorescence.
petiole cf. lamina		stalk of a leaf leading to the leaf blade.
phyllodia		flattened leaf without a pitcher tube.
phylogeny		evolutionary history of a species.
prostrate		leaf lying flat.
protandrous cf. protogynous		flowers in which the anthers release the pollen before the stigma becomes receptive.
protogynous cf. protandrous		flowers in which the stigma is receptive before the pollen is shed from the anthers.
protozoa		single-celled, the most abundant animals in the world in number and in biomass, play a vital role in controlling bacteria.

R
raceme		unbranching inflorescence, with each flower attached by a pedicel, the oldest flower toward the base.
rhizome		horizontal stems of a plant (usually underground).
rotifer		microscopic multi-celled animals (less than 1000 cells), possessing a hair-like cilia at the body front for locomotion.

S
stipule		small appendages at the base of the petiole of leaves.
stolon		horizontal shoots (often underground) that form a new plant at the tip, also called runners.
sympatry		occurring in the same habitat.

T
taxonomy		discipline of biology to classify organisms.
tropistic cf. nastic		movement in the direction having a correlation to the origin of stimuli.

V
vertebrate cf. invertebrate		animals with backbones, including many large animals, such as mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish.

Z
zygomorphic cf. actinomorphic		bilaterally symmetric flowers.

Glossary - by category

ANIMAL
vertebrate		animals with backbones, including many large animals, such as mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish.
invertebrate		animals without backbones.
arthropod		the largest phylum of animals (including insects, arachnids, crustaceans, etc) characterized by their segmented body and chitinous exoskeleton.
arachnid		joint-legged creatures such as spiders, scorpions, ticks and mites.
chitin		main component of the exoskeletons of arthropods, such as insects.
Diptera		insect order characterized by the presence of a single pair of wings, including true flies, mosquitoes, gnats, midges.
crustacean		majority are aquatic, such as crabs, lobsters, shrimp. .
rotifer		microscopic multi-celled animals (less than 1000 cells), possessing a hair-like cilia at the body front for locomotion.
protozoa		single-celled, the most abundant animals in the world in number and in biomass, play a vital role in controlling bacteria.
commensal
Inquiline		animals that use another species for housing without hurting the host, a la microorganisms in the pitcher plant pool.

FLOWER
anthesis		period during which a flower is receptive for fertilization.
protandrous		flowers in which the anthers release the pollen before the stigma becomes receptive.
protogynous		flowers in which the stigma is receptive before the pollen is shed from the anthers.
chasmogamous		flowers that open normally to allow for pollination.
cleistogamous		flowers that never open (but self-pollinate).
actinomorphic		radially symmetric flowers.
zygomorphic		bilaterally symmetric flowers.
inflorescence		cluster of flowers on a stalk.
peduncle		main stalk of an inflorescence.
pedicel		short stem holding each flower in an inflorescence.
raceme		unbranching inflorescence, with each flower attached by a pedicel, the oldest flower toward the base.
panicle		compound raceme.
dioecious		having male and female flowers on separate plants.
monoecious		having separate male and female flowers on the same plant.

LEAF
abaxial		underside of a leaf, facing away from the stem.
adaxial		upper side of a leaf, facing toward the stem.
entire		having a smooth edge without teeth or lobes.
petiole		stalk of a leaf leading to the leaf blade.
lamina		leaf blade.
stipule		small appendages at the base of the petiole of leaves.
epiascidiate		type of leaf whose upper surface curls around and fuses to form a tube.
ensiform		having a shape of a sword.
phyllodia		flattened leaf without a pitcher tube.
epidermis		outermost layer of cells covering a leaf surface.
mesophyll		cells in the leaf interior that perform photosynthesis.
hibernaculum		protective bud made of small, tightly packed leaves which tolerates cold and desiccation (pl. hibernacula).
prostrate		leaf lying flat.
decumbent		leaf reclining on the ground.

STEM
gemma		bud-like structure formed in the rosette center, as in pygmy sundews, that develop into a new plant (pl. gemmae).
stolon		horizontal shoots (often underground) that form a new plant at the tip, also called runners.
rhizome		horizontal stems of a plant (usually underground).
herbaceous		plants with a non-woody stem, dies back every year. A herb.

MOVEMENT
nastic		movement toward a predetermined direction.
tropistic		movement in the direction having a correlation to the origin of stimuli.
action potential		an electrical pulse (with a duration of 1ms or so) that travels along the cell membrane, transmitting a signal from one cell to another, to coordinate some activities. The nervous system of animals use action potentials for communication between neurons and to transmit information to other tissues. Many plants generate action potentials also. In plants, the generation of an action potential is associated with the flow of potassium (K+) and calcium (Ca++), while in animals the flow of potassium (K+) and sodium (Na+) are used. An action potential is caused by positive ions moving in and out of a particular cell.....

OTHERS
endemic		native only to a certain region.
sympatry		occurring in the same habitat.
taxonomy		discipline of biology to classify organisms.
phylogeny		evolutionary history of a species.
ontogeny		developmental change of an organism.
homology		similarity in characters due to common ancestry.
cultivar		"cultivated variety" registered with a registration authority, such as International Carnivorous Plant Society.
digestion		process whereby complex molecules are broken down into smaller structures for absorption (carried out in the digestive system, usually in animals).
enzyme		protein that accelerates a specific chemical reaction (without altering itself).
hydrolytic		enzyme which acts only in the presence of water.

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