acid soil - soils with a pH lower than 7 are considered to be acidic. Several things can contribute to acidic soil. One of them is a lot of rainfall. Other things include the amount of rock under laying the soil. An area with a lot of limestone, for example, would have soil that is less acidic.  A pH of 6 is considered slightly acid, pH 5 is acid, and pH4 is very acid. Most flowering plants will do fine in a garden with a pH between 6 and 7, the exception being very acid-loving plants, such as rhododendrons and azaelas.

acma - means "anvil-shaped." Fritilaria acmopetala has anvil-shaped petals.

actinomorphic - A botanical term applied to flowers which are radially symmetrical. To tell if a flower is actinomorphic, cut it through the center. If it is divided into two equal parts, it is actinomorphic. Two examples are crocus and lily.

adpressed - flatly pressed back, such as a leaf that lies flat against the stem or a plant that lies pressed against the ground. The tiny scale like needles on the  false cypress are adpressed, and the Cotoneaster adpressus is a prostrate species which appears to be pressed against the ground.

aestive -  means *of summer". Pheasant's eye, Adonis aestivilus, blooms in summer. .

alatus - means having "winged parts." For example; the shoots  of burning bush, Euonymus alatus, appear winged.

alb - means "white."  Campanula carpatica 'Alba'  has white flowers, as does flowering maple, Abutilon vitifolium 'Album.'

alkaline soil - Soil with a pH higher than 7. Usually found in areas with very low amounts of rain, or in areas with a great many limestone outcroppings.

alkaloid - a substance in a plant which defends it against predators because of it's bitterness. The compound contains nitrogen. Alkaloids also include plant poisons or medicines such as nicotine, cocaine, and quinine.

allelopathy - the ability of certain plants to release chemicals which prohibit the growth of certain other plants. Black walnuts are allelopathic.... tomatoes and certain other plants will not grow under or near them.

alternifolia -  means "with leaves arranged alternately," not in pairs or whorls. Most dogwoods have opposite leaves, but the pagoda dogwood, Cornus alternifolia, has alternate leaves.

amabilis  -  means "lovely." Eragrostis amabilis is a very lovely annual grass.

angustifolia  -  means "narrow-leafed." Russian olive, Elaeagnus angustifolia, has very slender gray leaves.

annuua -  means "annual" as in the common sunflower, Helianthus annuus.

anther - the part of the stamen of a flower that holds the pollen. It is usually at the end of the filament.

anthesis - the opening of a flower ready for pollination.

antitranspirant - a substance that is sprayed on the stems and leaves of plants to reduce the rate of transpiration, or water loss.

apical - coming from the growing tip of a stem.

arborescent - branching, like a tree. Lavatera arborea, the tree mallow, grows to 10 feet tall and 5 feet wide.

arena - means "sandy." The sandwort, Arenaria, makes an ideal rock garden plant. Dianthus arenarius prefers sandy, well-drained soil.

argenta -  means "silvery."  Begonia argenteo-guttata, also known as the trout begonia,  has leaves spotted with silver.

aril - an extra, often colored, coat or covering on a seed. The aril  of the fruits of bittersweet vine,  and euonymus
give them their beautiful color.

arvensis - means "found in cultivated fields" as either a crop or a weed. The scarlet pimpernel, Anagallis arvensis, is a European annual considered a weed because it invades farm fields.

aspera - means "rough leaved," as Hydrangea aspera, with its serrated-edged leaves.

augusta - means "stately, noble." The common gardenia, Gardenia augusta, is the best-known species of the genus.

aurea - means "orange." the Peruvian lily Alstroemeria aurea has orange flower heads.

aureo - as part of a species name, means "golden" or "yellow."  The hosta  H. montana 'Aureomarginata' has yellow leaf margins.

auriculameans -  means "having ears or lobes." Coreopsis auriculata has leaves with one or two rounded lobes at the base.

autumnale - means "flowering in the autumn" such as the common sneezeweed, Helenium autumnale.

bacillarus -  means "staff-like."  The branches of Cotoneaster bacillarus are used to make walking sticks in the Himalayas.

barbinerva -  means "with veins."  Clethra barbinervis, Japanese clethra, has heavily veined leaves with a fuzz of short hairs on the veins.

belladonna - means "beautiful lady."  The belladonna lily, Amarylis belladonna, with its rosy-oink flowers, is one of the most beautiful species of amarylis.

biennis - means "biennial," like the common evening primrose, Oenothera biennis.

binomial - means "having two names."  In botany, plants have two names.  The first word identifies the genus, the second the species. So, for Phlox douglasii 'Red Admiral,'  phlox is the genus, douglasii is the species, and Red Admiral is the cultivar.

blanda - means "pleasant."  The wind flower Anenome blanda, is a delicate, frost hardy species.

bombycina - means "silky or furry."  Verbascum bombyciferum is a biennial with very soft, furry leaves.

bracteata - means "with bracts." Abies bracteata, the bristlecone fir, has bracts on the cone scales.

caerulea  -  means "dark blue." Jacob’s ladder, Polemonium caeruleum, has blue flowers.

campanulata - means "bell-shaped," as the flowers of the African lily, Agapanthus campanulatus.

campeste  -  as a species name, means "growing in or associated with  fields. The hedge maple, Acer campestre, was traditionally planted for hedgerows around pastures and fields.

canadense -   means "native to Canada. " Canada garlic, or meadow leek, Allium canadense, was first discovered in Canada.

candidissimum - means "whitest."  Arisaema candidissimum is a Jack-in-the-Pulpit from China, with the interior of the spathe being extremely white.

candida  -  means "pure, shining white, " the Madonna lily, Lilium candidum, has glossy white flowers.

capitata -  means "dense head."  The Himalayan strawberry tree, also known as evergreen dogwood,  Cornus capitata, has a mass of flower heads in a beautiful lemon color.

carnea -  means "flesh colored."  The pale pink flowers of rock jasmine, Androsace carnea, resemble the color of flesh.

caudata - means "with a tail."  Love-lies-bleeding, Amaranthus caudatus, has a long, slender, drooping
inflorescence which resembles a tail.

caulescent - having an obvious stem, usually above ground.

caulis -   refers to the stem. The pink lady’s slipper orchid, Cypripedium acaule, appears to be stem less, but the stem is actually underground.  The "a" in front of a Latin word usually means "without" or "minus."

cepa - means "clustered." The scallion Allium cepa has very clustered bulbs.

chelate - a chemical that contains iron or some other metal in a form that is ready for plants to use. Gardeners use chelates when their plants look yellowed or chlorotic from iron or magnesium deficiency.

chinensis -    means "native to China." Such as in Astilbe chinensis.

chlorosis - a condition in which leaves look  pale or yellowish. Usually caused by a lack of  nitrogen, iron, or magnesium.

chrys -  means "golden." Achillea chrysocoma has golden-yellow flower heads.

chrysogonum - the botanical name for green-and-gold. Iris chrysographes has flowers with gold lines on the falls.

ciliata - means "fringed with hairs."  The wide leaves of Bergenia ciliata are fringed with fine, reddish hairs.

cinerea -  means "ash-colored" or "gray." Dusty miller, Senecio cineraria, has silver-gray leaves. The grey foliage and pink flowers of the bell heather, Erica cinerea, make it one of the prettiest of the frost-hardy heaths.

citrioda -  means "lemon scented." The lemon-scented leaves of Eucalyptus citriodora make  it a favorite.

coccinea - means "scarlet."  The angel-wing begonia, Begonia coccinea, has leaves with red margins and pendant clusters of bright red flowers. collina - means "growing on hills."  Campanula collina is a species of bellflower which prefers higher elevations.

compacta -  means "growing smaller than average,"  with dense, compact habit. Dwarf inkberry holly, Ilex glabra ‘Compacta’ grows only 4 to 6 feet tall, unlike regular inkberry, which grows to 8 feet or taller.

cordatus, cordifolia  - both words mean "heart shaped." Houttuynia cordata has heart-shaped leaves, as does Bergenia cordifolia.

cornuta - mean "having spines or horned." Ilex cornuta, Chinese holly, has leaves with spiny points. Viola cornuta has long spurs on the flowers, resembling horns.

corolla - all petals of a flower make up the corolla.

corona - a crown like structure on some corollas. the *trumpets* of the daffodils are coronas.

cotyledon - a food-storage organ in seeds. A cotyledon is like a leaf which is inside of a seed. When the seed sprouts, the first *green* visible are the cotyledons, and they are not true leaves.  Monocot seeds have one cotyledon; dicot seeds have two. Also called seed leaf.

crassifolia - means "fleshy-leaved." Fritilaria crassifolia is a species with thicker, more succulent leaves than other species.

crenulate - minutely scalloped.

crispula - means "wavy-margined," such as the leaves of Hosta crispula and the rock rose Cistus crispus.

cristata - means "crested."  The crested flower heads of cockscomb, Celosia cristata, are a welcome addition to the annual border.

cultivar - a plant variety maintained in cultivation by vegetative propagation or from inbred seed; usually the result of hybridization. The word "cultivar" derives from "cultivated variety." Cultivars have  desirable qualities that set them apart from common seedlings. . A cultivar name is indicated  by a roman ( not latin) word or words enclosed in single quotation marks. For example, there is only one species of heather, Calluna vulgaris, but there are hundreds of cultivars with flowers and foliage of different colors.

cultriformis - means "knife-shaped." The knife-leaf wattle, also known as knife acacia, Acacia cultriformis, has phyllodes (a type of very small leaf) resembling small paring knives.

cuticle - the waxy surface that reduces  water loss from a leaf, as on the leaves of jade plant, and the leaves of rhododendrons and laurels.

cyparissa - means "cyprus-like." Euphorbia cyparissias has leaves which resemble those of the cypress.

day-neutral - a day neutral plant is one which will bloom no matter how many hours of sunlight there are in the day.

dealbata - means "whitened."  The persian cornflower, Centaurea dealbata, has leaves that are a whitish-grey on the undersides.

deltoides -means "triangular" The eastern cottonwood, Populus deltoides, has triangular-shaped leaves, and the petals of the flower Dianthus deltoides are triagular-shaped.

dentate - means "haing toothed leaves, such as Hedera colchica 'Dentata.'

denticulate -  finely toothed.

determinate - a term used to describe a plant whose  growth is stopped by the production of a flower and fruit cluster. Determinate tomato cultivars, for example, are compact plants that bear their entire crop over a short season. Once the plant begins to set fruit it stops growing.

dicotyledon - a plant having two cotyledons in its seeds. The leaves of dicotyledons usually have a netlike pattern of veins and flower parts in groups of four or five or multiples thereof. This group includes all the broad-leaved trees and shrubs and many common flowers such as daisies, phlox, carnations, and peonies, roses, legumes, carrot and mint families.

dioecious - having male and female flowers on separate plants. For fruit and seed production to take place, there needs to be a male and female plant present.  This is not the same thing as  self-incompatibility, as seen in some fruit trees. Most hollies, junipers, and yews are dioecious.

dioica - means "having male and female flowers on separate plants."  The catsfoot Atennaria dioica has different sexes on different plants. The female plants of goatsbeard, Aruncus dioicus, have fuller, drooping flower clusters as compared to the thin, feathery, more upright plumes of the male plants.

diurnal - a term used to describe a flower that opens only during the daytime.

divaricata - means "straggly, sprawling, or spreading." Wild Sweet William, Phlox divaricata, has limp leafy stems that flop over and arise from spreading underground stems.

echinate - bearing stiff prickly hairs.

ensata - means "sword-shaped." Iris ensata, also known as Japanese flag,  has narrow, sword-shaped leaves.

erecta -   means "upright." Achimenes erecta, a species of hot water plant, has a more upright habit than other species in the genus.

ericoides - means "like Erica, the heath."  The heath aster, Aster ericoides, has small, narrow leaves on the upper stems, resembling the heath plant.

erythro -  means "red." New fronds of the Japanese autumn fern, Dryopteris erythrosora, have a reddish tint.

etoliated - When a oplant is grown in too little light over a period of time it's leaves and stems shrivel, it becomes stunted, and it is said to be "etoliated."

excortica - means "peeling."  Fucshia excorticata, the New Zealand tree fuchsia, is a slow growing tree
characterized by its peeling bark.

F1 Hybrid - A hybrid strain created by crossing two selected parents. This strain is created fresh for every batch of seed. The "F" stand for "filial." The resulting plants are usually more vigorous than either parent and have other qualities that are considered more desirable. However, the seeds produced by an F1 hybrid will rarely produce plants of comparable value.

fasciation - an abnormal widening and flattening of a stem, typically of a flower stalk. While generally of unknown origin, it is sometimes due to disease. It is often found in the genera Nicotiana, Celosia, and Lilium.

fatuosa -  means "proud." The African daisy, Arctotis fatuosa, is also called the Monarch of the Veldt because of its beautiful, glistening orange flower heads.

fenestra  - means "window-like." The net-veined leaves of Vriesia fenestralis, almost resemble cathedral windows.

felted - covered with short, dense hairs.

filamentosa -  means "having filaments or threads." The leaves of Yucca filamentosa, contain stiff, strong white fibers that Native Americans spun into thread and twine.

filiform - long and thin; threadlike.

finbriate - fringed, as the edges of the parrot tulips' petals.

flore pleno -  means "having double flowers." Lychnis viscaria ‘Flore Pleno’  is a cultivar that is blessed with an abundance of flowers.

floribunda or florida  - describes plants that flower abundantly, making showy displays, such as  Japanese andromeda, Pieris floribunda, or flowering dogwood, Cornus florida.

flora  -  refers to the flowers.  The large-flowered calamint, Calamintha grandiflora, as the name, implies, produces large flowers.

foetidus - means "bad-smelling." Iris foetidissima, also called "stinking iris,"  has flowers that smell mildly unpleasant.

folius - as part of a species name, refers to the leaves.  Beach speedwell, Veronica longifolia, has narrow, tapering leaves.

fragrans - means "fragrant or sweet-scented." The fruit of the nutmeg tree, Myristica fragrans, is sold commercially as a spice.

frutescens, fruticans, or fruticosus  - means "shrubby or bushy." The marguerite, or Paris daisy,
Argyanthemum frutescans, is a very bushy small evergreen shrub.

fulgens or fulgida -  means "shining or glistening." The bird's nest bromeliad, Nidularium fulgens, has very glossy yellow-green foliage.

fulva - means "tawny colored." Iris x fulvala has flowers of a purple-reddish cast which look tawny.

furcate - forked.

galeobdola - means "nettle-like."  Lamium galeobdolon, or yellow archangel, has leaves which resemble those of the stinging nettle.

genus - The next major category of plant classification above species.  The name of the genus is the first word in the two-part Latin plant name. The common names for many groups of plants, such as aster, cosmos, magnolia, and rhododendron, are also the Latin names for those genera. There can be anywhere from one to thousands of species in a genus.

geotropism - the movement of plant parts in response to gravity. It causes roots to grow downward and stemsses stems to grow upward. Geotropism is the reason that a tulip bulb, if planted upside down, will, in time, right itself and begin to grow properly.

glaber, glabra -  means "smooth or hairless." Photinia glabra is an evergreen shrub whose mature leaves are smooth and glossy.

glabrous - having no hairs or fuzz.

glaucous - covered with a grayish, bluish, or whitish waxy coating or bloom that is easily brushed off.

glaucus -  means "having leaves or other parts with a bluish or white coating." Festuca glauca has leaves that are bluish, and look as if they almost have a coating on them.

globose - means "spherical."  The orange ball tree, Buddleja globosa, has perfectly round, orange flower heads.

glutinosa - means "sticky."  The common alder, Alnus glutinosa, emits sticky droplets when it sheds it's seeds.

gracilis -  means "graceful or slender." Viola gracilis, the Olympian violet, is a very delicate, graceful plant.

grandi -  means "large." Chinese trumpet creeper, Campsis grandiflora, has large flowers.

graveola -  means "heavy-scented."  The wild, biennial celery of Europe, Apium graveolens, is very strong smelling.

guttata - means "spotted."   Begonia argenteo-guttata, also known as the trout begonia,  has leaves spotted with silver.

halophyte - a plant that tolerates a large amount of salt in the soil.

heirloom plant - generally a cultivar of a flowering plant or vegetable that has been in cultivation for at least 50 years.

herbaceous - green and leaf like in appearance and texture. Having above-ground stems that are fleshy, as opposed to woody.

hilum - the scar on a seed coat marking the place where it was attached to the ovary during development.

hirta or hirsutus  -  means "covered with stiff bristly hairs." (Not soft and fuzzy). Asperula hirta, woodruff, has leaves covered with short hairs. The annual black-eyed Susan , Rudbeckia hirta, bears leaves and stems that feel rough because they are covered with short stiff hairs.

hispida -  means "bristly." Chenile plant, Acalypha hispida, has red flowers which hang in pendulous spikes, resembling small brushes.

hygrometrica - means "measuring moisture." The flowers of Hypoxis hygrometrica, star grass, close on cloudy days.

ignea - means "glowing." the cigar flower, Cuphea ignea, has bright green leaves and bright orange, tubular flowers.

imbricate - means "overlapping." Gladiolus imbricatus has over-lapping leaves.

inaperta - means "closed." The African lily, Agapanthus inapertus, is a distinctive species with narrow, deep flowers that appear almost closed.

incana -  means "hoary or gray."  Bluebeard, Caryopteris incana, has leaves of soft gray.

indeterminate - a term used describing plants  which continue to grow after flowering starts. The distinction between indeterminate and determinate is most often used in connection with vegetables. Indeterminate tomatoes and runner beans keep setting fruit and growing until killed by the cold.

indicus -  means "from India." but can be applied to any plants found throughout Asia.  Crape myrtle, Lagerstroemia indica, is native to China.

indumentum - the coating of fine hairs on the underside of some leaves, such as magnolias and rhododendrons.

inflorescence - a cluster of flowers arranged in a particular way on a stem. Spikes, (gladiolus),
racemes,(delphiniums),  umbels, whorls, panicles, (lilacs)  cymes, and corymbs are common types of inflorescences.

infundibular- funnel shaped, like the flower of the hummingbird vine, Campsis radicans, or of the morning glory.

integument - the coating of an ovule that becomes the skin of a seed.

japonicus - means "native to Japan. Japanese maple, Acer japonicum, has been introduced from Japan.

koreanus - means "native to Korea." Abies koreana, the Korean fir, is one example.

labiate - with flower parts arranged into two lips.  All members of the mint family have labiate flowers.

lact -  means "milky." Artemisia lactiflora, the white mugwort, bears many panicles of tiny, milky-white flowers.

laevigatus - means "smooth." The corm tunic of Crocus laevigatus is smooth, unlike the latticed tunic of Crocus cancellatus.

lanata - means "wooly." Lavandula lanata, lavender, has leaves which look almost wooly, compared to other species.

lanceolate - Shaped like a lance, several times longer than wide, pointed at the tip and broadest near the base.

latifolia -  means "with  broader than average leaves." Kalmia latifolia, the mountain laurel, has very large, leathery leaves.

leuc - as part of a Latin name, means "white." Pincushion, Leucospermum, has white flowers.

ligneous - woody.

lobata - means "lobed," as Ipomoea lobata, a short lived perennial vine with three-lobed bright green leaves.

loess -  Pronounced "less." Soils deposited by the winds. They are usually very rich and very fine. They have been deposited in many states in the central part of the United States. They vary from fine, silt-like material to soils that are similar to rich garden loam.

leucens or lucidus - means "bright, shining, or clear." Glossy privet, Ligustrum lucidum, has very shiny leaves.

lute - means "yellow."  Cladrastis lutea, the yellowood tree has yellow wood. The mariposa lily, Calochortus luteus, is a species with yellow flowers. .

macrophylla - means "large leaves,"   as seen in the large leaves of the Siberian bugloss, Brunnera macrophylla.

maculatus - means "spotted." Spotted dead nettle, Lamium maculatum, has green leaves marked with white or silver spots.

majalis - means "flowering in May," such as Lily-of-the-Valley, Convallaria majalis.

margaritacea -  means "pear-like."  The pearl everlasting, Anaphalis margaritacea, has small, papery yellow flowers resembling pearls, and can be dried for indoor use.

melanocarpa -  means "black fruit."  The black chokeberry, Aronia melanocarpa, does not have the red fruit of the species Aronia arbutifolia.

meleagra - means "spotted."  Fritillaria melleagris, the snake's head fritillary, or checkered lily, has flower heads that are blotched and spotted.

meridionalis -  means "flowering at mid-day." The globe daisy, Globularia meridionalis, likes to close its flowers towards evening.

micro - as part of a species name, means "very small." Littleleaf boxwood, Buxus microphylla, has smaller leaves than other kinds of boxwoods do.

mollis  -  means "softly hairy," like the leaves of  velvet grass, Holcus mollis.

monocarpic - a term used to describe a plant that flowers only once in its life and then dies. Annuals are monocarpic.

monoecious - having separate male and female flowers but on the same plant.

montana -means "native to mountains." Jasione montana, sheep's bit, is a biennial from the mountains of Europe.

moschata - means "musk scented." Fragaria moschata, the hautboy or wild European strawberry, has fruit that are
musk-scented.

mutabilis - means "changing flower color" as in Hibiscus mutabilis, the cotton rose, whose flowers open white and age from pale pink to deep pink.

nana, nanus -  means "dwarf." Dwarf balsam fir, Abies balsamea ‘Nana"  is a small species. The dwarf birch, Betula nana, is found in great numbers above the arctic circle.

napella - means "resembling a small turnip."  (Really)!  Aconitum napellus, or monkshood, has roots which resemble a turnip.

necrosis - the term used to describe small patches or areas of plant tissue that have died because of disease or freezing.

nemerosa - means "of woods."  The wood anenome, Anenome nemerosa, is happy in a moist, shaded environment, much like that of natural woodland.

nigr - means "black or very dark green." The Austrian pine, Pinus nigra, has very dark green needles.

nipponicus - means "native to Japan." Chrysanthemum nipponicum came from Japan.

nitida - means "shining."  Cotoneaster nitidus has very shiny green leaves.

niv - means "snow or a snow-white color."  Snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis, have white flowers and often bloom while there is still snow on the ground. The flowers of Crocus niveus are snow white.

nucifera - means "nut-bearing."  The large fruit of the coconut palm, Cocos nucifera is not really a nut at all. The small nut is found inside of the white fruit.

nudiflora - means "flowering naked." Jasminum nudiflorum, winter jasmine, flowers in the winter when it is leafless.

nuta - means "nodding."   Queen's tears, Bilbergia nutans, has long, pendant flower clusters which droop downward on arching spikes.

odora -  means "fragrant." Sweet woodruff, Galium odoratum, has vanilla-scented foliage, and the flowers of Daphne odora, winter daphne, have a heavenly fragrance.

officinalis - means "a plant that was sold as an herb or used in an apothecary shop."  Salvia officinalis  was sold as a remedy  for sore throats. The bugloss, Anchusa officinalis, has been used in herbal medicine and as a vegetable in some cultures.

pallida -  means "pale."  The spiderwort Tradescantia pallida has very pale flowers compared to other species in the genus.

palmata  -  means "having palmate leaves," or leaves "shaped like a hand." Filipendula palmata,  is a large moisture-loving plant with large, lobed leaves.

palustris -  means "native to swamps or marshes." Calla palustris, bog arum, grows in the boggy margins of lakes and swamps.

paniculata - means "bearing flowers in panicles," as in perennial baby’s breath, Gypsophila paniculata.

pannosa - means "felt-like."  Cotoneaster pannosus has leaves with a very wooly, white underside, and they feel very soft.

parvi - as part of a species name, means "small." Bottlebrush buckeye, Aesculus parviflora, has spikes of small white flowers.

patens or patulus - means "spreading." Firebush, Hamelia patens, and ‘Miss Kim’ lilac, Syringa patula, are both spreading shrubs that grow wider than tall.

pavia - means "flesh-colored."  The red buckeye, Aesculus pavia, has flesh-colored flowers.

pectinata - means "comb-like."  Euryops pectinatus, the gray-leafed euryops, has very finely-cut leaves which set off its pretty yellow flowers.

pedicel - the stalk of an individual flower in an inflorescence or cluster.

peduncle - the stalk of a single flower or the main stalk of a flower cluster.

peltate - when the stalk of a flower is attached somewhere other than the margin of the leaf,  such as in nasturtiums.

perennis -  means "perennial."   The perennial english daisy, Bellis perennis, has become naturalized on many continents.

perianth - all the sepals and petals of a flower make up the perianth.

petraea - means "growing on rocks." An alpine species of Daphne, Daphne petraea, rarely grows over 12" tall and is suited to the rockery or alpine garden.

phylum - the first level in the plant kingdom. After plylum come class, order, family, genus, and species.

picta - means "painted."  the hosta, h. 'Albopicta' looks as if the coloring was painted onto its leaves.

pileus - the top, or "cap" of a mushroom or toadstool.

pinguifolia - means "having fat leaves."  Hebe pinguifolia is an evergreen shrub  with very fleshy leaves from New Zealand.

pisifera - means "bearing pea-like seeds.

pistil - the female reproductive organ of flowers.

pluvia - means "of rain." The cape marigold, Dimorphotheca pluvialis, flowers following the rains of late winter and spring.

polychroma - means "many colors." Euphorbia polychroma, with its many shades of yellows and greens, makes a beautiful addition to the spring border.

praecox - means "early." Chimonanthes praecox is a species of winter sweet that flowers very early in the year.

pratense - means "growing in meadows."  The foxtail grass Alopecurus pratensis, is a clump-forming perennial meadow grass.

procumba - means "prostrate."  Asarina procumbens is a trailing perennial which forms a dense mat.

pulch - means "pretty."  Deutzia pulchra is one of the prettiest species of the genus.

pumila - means "small or dwarf."

pungens - means "sharp-pointed."

purpurens - means "purple."  Echinacea purpurea, purple coneflower, is attractive to butterflies.

quercifolia - means "shaped like oak leaves."

radicle  -  the first, embryonic root of a seedling, which becomes its first primary root.

radicans - means " with rooting stems."  Trumpet vine, Campsis radicans,  produces aerial roots along its stems.

recurved - curved downwards or backwards.  Can refer to either the leaves or petals. Many daylilies, for example, have recurved petals.

remontant - a plant which will give forth a second period of bloom in one season. Another term for "repeat" bloomer.

reptans - means "creeping or low." Common bugleweed, Ajuga reptans, spreads by surface runners and forms a dense, low mat.

resupinate - a term describing upside down flowers. Most orchids are resupinate.

reticulate - means "webbed or netted" and usually refers to leaves that have a pronounced network or webbing of veins.  Some of the heucheras are reticulate.

riv- means "growing by streams." Geum rivale, the water avens, is common along European stream banks.

robustus - means "strong."

rogue - refers to a plant which may arise in the garden but it is inferior to other members of its species.

rosea - means "rose-colored." The hollyhock Alcea rosea has rose-colored flowers.

rotunda - means "rounded." The sunflower, Tithonia rotundifolia, has four-inch wide flower heads which are extremely rounded, like those of the zinnia.

rubra - means "red." Acer rubrum, the red maple, has leaves which turn red in the fall.

rugosa - means "wrinkled." The term usually applies to foliage which is heavily veined or crinkled, such as in Rosa rugosa.

rupestris - means "growing on rocks."  Crassula rupestris, a species of jade plants, is a succulent well-suited to rocky outcoppings or rock gardens.

salicifolius -  means "with leaves shped like willow leaves."

sanguinea - means "blood red,"  as the flowers of Heuchera sanguinea, coral bells, are blood red.

saprophyte - a plant that feeds on dead or decayed matter. Saprophytes do not have chorophyll. Fungi are saprophytes.

sarmentosa - means "producing runners."  The rock jasmine, Androsace sarmentosa, sends out runners which form patches of leaves shaped like rosettes.

sativus - means "cultivated." The common garlic, Allium sativum, is unknown in the wild.

saxatilis - means "growing on rocks."  Basket of gold, Aurinia saxatilis, is very popular as a rock garden plant.

scandens - means "climbing."  The cup and saucer vine, Cobaea scandens, is a vigorous climbing vine.

scopulorum - means "native to rocky sites or cliffs."

scree - small shards of rocks which gather on hillsides. In gardening, scree is used in planting alpine plants, and it is a mixture of small gravel, stones, and sharp sand.

sempervirens - means "evergreen." Iberis sempervirens, perennial candytuft, stays green all year long.

setosa - means "densely hairy."  The leaves of Mexican firecracker, Echeveria setosa, have a dense coating of short, white bristles.

short-day plant - a plant whose flowering mechanism is triggered by shortened hours of daylight, such as chrysanthemums.

soft-wood cutting - a cutting that is taken during the summer from young, soft tips of perennials or other herbaceous or woody plants. These types of cutting root very quickly.

sororia - means "sisterly."  The wooly blue violet, Viola sororia, closely resembles other species in the genus.

speciosa - means "showy."  The milkweed Asclepias speciosa has large, prominent, pinkish flower heads, and is one of the showiest of the wild species.

spectabilis - means "showy."

spicata - means "spiked."  Baneberry, Actaea spicata, has flowers which occur in spikes, as does Veronica spicata 'Red Fox.'

spinosa - means "spiny."  A Mediterranean species of bear's breeches, Acanthus spinosus, has deeply divided leaves, with spine-tipped teeth on the segments.

sport - a plant that comes from a parent, but shows deviation in either foliage or flower from the parent, usually as the result of mutation. Sports are not considered bad, but instead are sometimes used as the source of new cultivars. Many hosta cultivars were originally sports.

squamata  - means "scaly."  The bark of Juniperus squamata, the Hollywood juniper, is flaky and reddish-brown.

stagnalis -  means " growing in still water."  Callitriche stagnalis, water starwort, will form a dense mat in still or slow-moving water.

stamen - the anther, where pollen is produced, and the filament, which supports the anther, make up the stamen, which is the male reproductive organ of a flower.

stigma - The apex of the pistil of a flower which receives the pollen.

stolonifera - means "spreading by stolons."

stratify - to subject seeds to a period of cold, moist treatment for a period of time to aid in their germination.

strictus - means "erect or upright."

suaveolens - means "sweetly scented."  Brugmansia suaveolens' blooms have a light, sweet scent.

sylvestri - means "of the woods." Tulipa sylvesytris is a woodland species of tulip.

tardiflora - means "late flowering." Hosta tardiflora usually doesn't flower till late August.

tectora - means "growing on roofs." Iris tectorum, or Japanese roof iris, got its name because this iris was grown on the roofs of Japanese people because all the available ground was used for crop production.

tenui - means "slender or thin."

tetraploid - a plant having twice the normal number of chromosomes. Tetraploid plants are usually larger and have more blooms than normal plants.

tilth - the tilth of a soil is its texture, which is fine and crumbly beause of tilling and the addition of organics.

tinctoria - means "used for dye."  A yellow dye can be extracted from the flowers of golden marguerite, Anthemis tinctoria.

tomemtosa -  means "hairy." Kalanchoe tomentosa, panda plant, has greay-green leaves which look as if they are covered with a white down.

tuberosa - means "having tuberous or rhizomatous roots, as does Asclepias tuberosa, the butterfly weed.

tunic - the loose covering over a bulb or corm, such as of the onion or gladiolus.
 

umbellata - means "flowers appear in umbrels." The pink sand verbena, Abronia umbellata, has tubular flowers in umbrells.

uvaria - means "like a bunch of grapes." Red hot poker, Kniphofia uvaria, bears racemes of tubular flowers which appear to hang like grapes.

velutinus - means "velvety."

venusta - means "charming."

vernalis -  means "spring."  Lathyrus vernus, in the pea genus, blooms in the spring, as does the Dutch crocus, Crocus vernus.

vernalization - the need for some plants to undergo a chilling period in order for them to form buds or start new growth. Tulips need to be vernalized in order to grow.

verruculosa -  means "warty."  Berberis verruculosa is called the warty barberry because its bark is covered in warty, brown protuberances.

verticillata - means "whorled." Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam' has such finely cut leaves that they appear whorled.

villosus - means "covered in soft hair."

virens or virid - means "green."  Forsythia viridissima has young shoots which are exceptionally green.

virgatus - means "twiggy looking or wand-like." Verbascum virgatum, mullein, has tall flower spikes which wave in the wind.

viscosus - means "sticky."

vulgaris - means "common."  Calluna vulgaris, common heather, is the only species in this genus.

xanth - means "yellow."