Glossary of Terms

Merriam Webster On-Line Dictionary....

alvar - an area of shallow soil over limestone, with a distinctive plantcommunity generally dominated by mosses and herbaceous flowering plants, withat most scattered small shrubs. Alvars are wet for a short time after snow-melt or rain but soon become very dry.

anther -- the part of the stamen of a flower that contains the pollen.

biome*

bog -- a more or less open wetland, characterized by soils consisting almost   entirely of organic matter; still water derived from rain or from seepage from surrounding acid rocks and soils; and vegetation consisting largely of mosses of the genus Sphagnum, shrubs of the family Ericaceae (heath family), and certain sedge species. Bog soils are strongly acid and low in calcium, magnesium and some other essential mineral elements.

calcareous -- high in calcium; limy.

cleistogamous flowers -- small flowers that never open, within which pollen is  transferred directly from the anthers to the stigma of the same flower, without the action of insects or any other external agent. Cleistogamous flowers usually occur on the same plant as chasmogamous flowers, which are the "normal," larger flowers that do open and are usually pollinated by outside agents such as insects or wind.

clone (adjective: clonal) -- all of the organisms derived from a single fertilized egg, through asexual reproduction; i.e., in the case of plants, from a single seed. Some plant species form extensive clonal patches as underground stems spread and give rise to new shoots, and it would be difficult to say where an individual plant ended and another began.

endangered*

extinct*

extirpated*

fen -- an open wetland, somewhat resembling a bog, characterized by soils high in organic matter but generally with more mineral content than bog soils; still, though often some running water derived from seepage from surrounding calcareous rocks and/or small streams; and vegetation dominated by sedges, grasses, and other herbaceous and shrubby plants.

lagoon -- a sheltered body of relatively shallow water near the shore of a  lake (or ocean), separated from the main body of the lake by a beach ridge or dunes though often connected by a channel.

marsh -- a more or less permanently wet area, characterized by emergent herbaceous vegetation, notably cattails; soils are often high in organic matter, especially in shallow areas, but also contain a significant mineral component; waters are neutral to moderately alkaline.

naturalized --

nectary --

ovule -- a potential seed in the pistil of a flower; each ovule contains an egg cell, from which an embryo will develop if it is fertilized by a sperm from the pollen.

pollination -- the transfer of pollen from an anther or anthers to a stigma.

Cross-pollination is the transfer of pollen from the anthers of one plant to the stigma of a different plant (usually of the same species);

self-pollination is the transfer of pollen to the stigma of the same plant, either within the same flower or in another flower on the same plant.

prairie -- a naturally occurring, often extensive treeless area (as contrasted with an artificial clearing), with the dominant vegetation being grasses and other non-woody plants. Prairies may be classified as wet, mesic (intermediate in moisture), and dry.

rare*

receptacle -- the summit of a flower stalk, more or less expanded, which bears the parts of the flower.

rhizome -- an underground stem, often rootlike in appearance, from which true  roots and above-ground stems arise.

sedge -- a plant of any species in the family Cyperaceae (sedge family), grasslike in aspect but distinguishable by details of floral structure.

sepal --

stigma -- the summit of the pistil of a flower; pollen grains adhere to and germinate on its surface.

succession -- changes in vegetation (and in associated animal life) over time. Primary succession is the sequence of changes occurring on a site since it became available for colonization by plants, e.g., since a glacier receded from the area, or since land emerged from receding lake waters;

secondary succession is the sequence of changes following disturbance,  as by natural agents such as fire or hurricanes, or after human activities such as clearing.

threatened*

tuber -- a much enlarged portion of a rhizome, containing extra stored food.

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