GLOSSARY

Abaxial Facing away from the plant; denoting the lower surface of a leaf

Acuminate long pointed, tapering, tapered to a slender point; having a gradually diminishing point or apex

Acute tapering to a pointed apex with more or less straight sides

Analgesic a drug that is used to relieve pain

Antigonorrhoeal Prevents or inhibits bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhoeae or gonococcus

Antimicrobial destroying or inhibiting the growth of microorganisms and especially pathogenic microorganisms.

Antioxidant molecules that prevent the oxidation of other molecules; substances that can prevent or slow damage to cells caused by free radicals

Antitoxic counteracting a toxin or poison

Apex the highest point or vertex of a plant stem or root

Aphrodisiac a food, drink, or drug that stimulates sexual desire

Astringent a medicine for checking the discharge of mucus or serum by causing shrinkage of tissue

Axillary pertaining to or growing from the axil

Buttressed With props or supports, as in the flared trunks of some trees

Campanulate Bell-shaped

Caudate With a tail-like appendage

Compound consisting of similar parts that combine to form a whole

Cordate shaped like a heart

Crenate With rounded teeth around the margin

Cuneate Wedge-shaped, triangular and tapering to a point at the base

Cyme Flat-topped or round-topped determinate inflorescence, paniculate in which the terminal flower blooms first

Cytotoxic any agent or process that kills cells.

Deciduous Falling off, as leaves from a tree; not evergreen not persistent

Decoction Process or the product of extraction or boiling in a watery fluid; The liquor resulting from concentrating the essence of a substance by heating or boiling, especially a medicinal preparation made from a plant

Dioecious Flowers imperfect, the staminate and pistillate flowers borne on different plants

Distichous arranged alternately in two vertical rows on opposite sides of an axis

Diuretic Substance that promotes diuresis—the increased production of urine

Decurrent Plant or fungal parts that extends downward

Drupe any fruit consisting of an outer skin, a usually pulpy and succulent middle layer, and a hard and woody inner shell usually enclosing a single seed.

Dysentery a condition in which the intestines, especially the colon, became inflamed

Ellipsoid A solid body elliptic in long section and circular in cross section

Emetic produces vomiting and evacuation of stomach contents

Endangered species a type of organism that is threatened by extinction

Epiphytic also called air plant, any plant that grows upon another plant or object merely for physical support

Evergreen any plant that retains its leaves through the year and into the following growing season

Foliage The leaves of a plant collectively

Frugivorous Feeding on fruit

Glabrous refers to a smooth plant surface completely devoid of hair or pubescence

Inflorescences basis of the arrangement of flowers on a main axis (peduncle)

Infusion process of steeping a substance in water, either cold or hot (below the boiling point), to extract its soluble principles.

Lanceolate Lance-shaped; much longer than wide; with the widest point below the middle

Laxative a group of drugs that either accelerate fecal passage or decrease fecal consistency

Leaflets refers to a small leaf or a leaf-like part of a compound leaf

Legume is a simple, dry fruit that is contained within a shed or a pod

Mucronate Tipped with a short, sharp, abrupt point

Native plant that is a part of the balance of nature that has developed over hundreds or thousands of years in a particular region or ecosystem

Nitrogen-fixing Capable of transforming atmospheric nitrogen into fixed nitrogen (inorganic compounds usable by plants)

Orbicular Approximately circular in outline

Ovate Shaped like an egg and flat, with the broad end toward the base

Ovoid Egg-shaped in terms of 3-D structures

Panicles a much-branched inflorescence

Peduncle The stalk of a solitary flower or of an inflorescence

Perennial plants that persist for many growing seasons; any plant that persists for several years

Petiole A leaf stalk

Proximal region of an organ that is nearest to its point of attachment

Puberulent Minutely pubescent; with fine short hairs

Raceme An unbranched elongated inflorescence, with pedicellate flowers maturing from the bottom upwards

Receptacle Portion of the pedicel upon which the flower parts are borne

Reniform Kidney-shaped

Retorsely pointing backwards or in a direction opposite to normal

Retuse With a shallow notch in a round or blunt apex

Simple a leaf whose blade is not divided to the midrib even though lobed

Solitary flowers, borne singly, not grouped in an inflorescence

Spurs A hallow, slender, sac-like appendage of a petal sepal, or of the calyx or corolla

Stellate Star-shaped, as in hairs with several to many branches radiating from the base

Styptic capable of causing bleeding to stop when it is applied to a wound

Sub-spheric Imperfectly, or nearly but not quite spherical

Tannin any of various soluble astringent complex phenolic substances of plant origin used especially in tanning leather and dyeing textiles, manufacturing ink, clarifying wine and beer, and in medicine

Undulate Wavy but not so deeply or as pronounced as sinuate

Venomous producing venom in a specialized gland and capable of inflicting injury or death

Vulnerable a species that may become endangered and unable to live in the wild owing to unfavorable circumstances that threaten its habitat or livelihood