Rhipsalis
Glossary

  • abscission zones Where branches may fall off in times of stress
  • acrotonic Branching from the tip of the primary branch
  • actinomorphic Having radial symmetry
  • anther Part where the pollen comes from, found at the end of a filament
  • apical Top
  • areole Where you expect a bud to emerge; either naked, hairy or bristly
  • axil The angle between stem and branch (armpit!)
  • bract or scales A specialized leaf or leaf-like part usually at the base of the flower. In Rhipsalis, a small leafy attachment sometimes occurring next to the areole.
  • campanulate Shaped like a bell
  • clone A replica of another plant i.e. a rooted cutting
  • dimorphic Having two shapes on the same plant
  • epiphytic Grows on trees
  • epilithic Grows on rocks
  • erumpent Bursting through the skin like a boil or pimple
  • filament Part of the flower holding the anther on the end, varying in number depending upon the species
  • forma (abbrev f. or fa.) A sub-group within a species displaying a minor characteristic, but not great enough to be called a variety.
  • glaucous Having a dusty coating as a cabbage
  • lateral On the side
  • meristem Embryonic tissue found in the core of the plant. Is close to the surface of the plant at the growing tip
  • mesotonic Branching from the side of the primary branch
  • neotenic Looking like a seedling but having the ability to flower
  • pendulous Hanging
  • petal The colorful part of the flower
  • perianth-segments Petals (in Cactaceae you cannot discern petals from sepals and this term is used. You sometimes come across "tepals," which means the same thing)
  • pericarp That which surrounds the ovary
  • pistil All the flower parts taken together
  • podaria Elevated places
  • scarious Thin, dry, and membranous
  • sepal The outermost group of flower parts covering petals before they open; absent in Rhipsalis. See perianth-segments.
  • species (abbrev sp.) A unit in classification; a group of organisms that have in common one or more characteristics which definitely separate it from any other group.
  • stamen Consists of a filament and an anther
  • stigma the part of a flower that receives the pollen. In Rhipsalis, the number of "lobes" varies by species.
  • style The part of a flower that holds the stigma on at its tip
  • subspecies (abbrev Subsp, ssp or ss) A category below the level of a species: a group within a species united by geographic or ecologic distinction. Often used as a synonym of variety. Sometimes used as a higher ranking than variety
  • subtend To enclose or embrace in its axil
  • terete circular in transverse section; imperfectly cylindrical because the object may taper both ways
  • terminal At the end
  • terrestrial Growing on the ground
  • variety (abbrev var. or v.) A plant having slight but distinct differences that distinguish it from the type species
  • zygomorphic Divisible into similar halves by one plane only (lopsided)