Acaulesent (ak-aw-LESS-ent) -- Plants that are, or appear to be stemless.

Adventitous (ad-ven-TISH-us) -- Refers to buds and roots that appear from abnormal locations on the stem of a plant.

Aerial root (AIR-ee-al ROOT) -- Roots produced along the stem above ground, mainly by monopodial plants. They usually do not enter the medium.

Aggregate (AG-greh-gayte) -- Forming a dense mass or grouping

Amorphous (a-MORE-fuss) -- Having no regular or set form, formless.

Ancipitous (an-SIP-ih-tus) -- Having two edges and being flattened. Some pseudobulbs have this characteristic, e.g. Laelia rubens.

Antrose (AN-tross) -- The characteristic of growing upward or even forward.

Aphyllus (a-FILL-us) -- Plants without leaves as Polyradicion Lindenii.

Apical (AY-pik-al) -- At the apex, used in reference to a leaf or bud at the tip of a stem.

Axil (AK-sil) -- The angle formed between a leaf and the stem to which it is attached; also the angle between a lateral branch and the main stem of a shrub or tree.

Axis (AK-siss) -- The main stem of a plant.

Backbulb (BAK-bulb) -- The older pseudobulbs, usually three, four, or more behind the lead. they have lateral buds but may or may not have leaves. These bulbs, when severed from the parent, will produce a new plant.

Bifarious (bye-FAIR-ee-us) -- Plant parts arranged in two rows.

Bifoliate (bye-FOH-lee-ayt) -- With two leaves.

Breaking (BRAYK-ing) -- When a new or lateral bud begins to grow.

Bristly (BRIS-lee) -- With stiff hairs.

Bud (BUHD) -- The unopened flower or the initiated new shoot before it elongates.

Bulb (BUHLB) -- An enlarged or swollen stem or a stem with modified scalelike storage leaves. A storage organ.

Cauline (KAW-line) -- Belonging to a stem.

Cell (SELL) -- The opening of the ovary, also known as a locule. Also the smallest unit of a plant structure.

Chlorotic (klor-ROT-ik) -- A yellowish plant as opposed to a normal green one.

Compact (KOM-pakt) -- Short or compressed.

Corm (KORM) -- A swollen stem base, usually underground. A storage organ.

Deciduous (de-SID-yew-us) -- Said of a plant that sheds its leaves annually and is leafless for a period of time.

Dichotomous (dye-KOT-oh-mus) -- Continually dividing into two's, said of branches when they fork into pairs.

Diphyllus (dye-FILL-us) -- Having two leaves, as bifoliate.

Evergreen (EV-er-green) -- A plant that retains its leaves for more than one year and that does not lose them all at one time.

Eye (EYE) -- The vegetative bud at the base of the pseudobulb or growth of sympodial orchids.

Fibrous (FYE-brus) -- Having structures resembling fibers.

Fleshy root (FLESH-ee ROOT) -- A large, thick, succulent root.

Floriferous (flo-RIFF-er-us) -- Having flowers, often said of a plant that flowers freely or has many flowers.

Flower (FLOU-er) -- A stem bearing a pistil or stamens or both ginerally surrounded by petals or sepals or both.

Foliage (FOH-li-ij) -- The leaves.

Inflorescence (in-floor-ESS-ents) -- The stem bearing the flowers, the flowering portion of a plant.

Internode (IN-ter-nohd) -- The segment of a stem between two nodes (leaves).

Jointed (JOYN-ted) -- Having very distinct nodes.

Lead (LEED) -- The green, usually flat segment that grows out from a stem.

Node (NOHD) -- The point on the stem or pseudobulb where the leaves or bracts are attached.

Proliferation (pro-lif-fer-AY-shun) -- Bearing offsets.

Prostrate (PROS-trate) -- Being flat on the ground.

Pseudobulb (SOO-doh-buhlb) -- A false bulb, the above ground thickened portion of the lateral branch of sympodial orchids.

Radicle (RAD-ee-kul) -- The primary root of a germinating seed.

Rhizome (RYE-zohm) -- A horizontal stem, either on or just below the ground, which has roots and erect lateral branches.

Root (ROOT) -- A leafless segment of a plant, usually underground.

Rosette (roh-ZET) -- Said of stemless plants when the leaves all radiate out from a central axis and form a circle.

Segment (SEG-ment) -- Pertains to the parts of the flower, such as petals, sepals, ect.

Sheath (SHEETH) -- Any leaflike structure in orchids that envelops the developing buds and emerging pseudobulbs.

Shoot (SHOOT) -- The new growth of a plant, usually a portion of the stem with its attached leaves.

Simple (SIM-pul) -- The opposite of compound, a leaf without leaflets, or a nonbranched flower stalk.

Sinus (SYE-nus) -- The area or space between two lobes of a lip, leaf, or other plant part.

Stalk (STAWK) -- See stem.

Stem (STEHM) -- The above ground segment of a plant. A main axis which bears leaves and eventually flowers and fruits.

Tuber (TEW-ber) -- A shortened, thickened stem containing eyes and usually found underground.

Tunicate (TEW-nih-kayt) -- With concentric or sheathing layers of tissue.

Unifoliate (yew-nih-FOH-lee-ayt) -- Having only one leaf.

Vegetative (vej-eh-TAY-tive) -- Said of propagation when using asexual methods of reproduction such as by cutting.

Zerophyte (ZIR-roh-fite) -- Said of plants native to arid areas.