North American Orchid Conservation Center

Glossary: T

T
Species is listed as Threatened in the indicated New England state.
taproot taproot
A large, central root.
taxon
The generic term for a genus, species, variety or subspecies.
taxonomy
The science of identifying, describing, classifying, and naming plants and animals (adjective: taxonomic).
tendril tendril
A specialized leaf, branch, or inflorescence that aids a vine or liana in climbing.
tepals tepals
Petals and sepals that are indistinguishable from each other, except by position, due to overall similarity.
terete terete
Cylindrical; round in cross-section.
terminal terminal
The outermost or end-most portion.
terminal bud terminal bud
The bud that forms on the very tip of a branch, with no twig bundle scar beside it.
ternate ternate
Arranged in a whorl of three.
terrestrial terrestrial
Growing in or on the ground.
testa testa
Seed coat derived from mature tissues of the ovary.
tetragonous
Four-angled.
thallus thallus
Plant that is not clearly divided into a stem and leaf.
theca theca
A compartment of an anther where the pollen is borne.
thorn thorn
A short, stiff, pointed structure that is a modified branch or leaf and thus contains a vascular bundle or remnants of it.
threatened
A species likely to become endangered throughout all or a large portion of its range.
throat throat
The base of a tubular corolla.
thrum thrum
A flower in which the stamens are equal in length to the style.
thyrse thyrse
A mixed inforescence with cymes arranged in a raceme.
tomentose tomentose
Covered with tangled or matted, woolly hairs.
tooth tooth
A projection from a leaf margin that comes to a pointed or acutely rounded tip.
torose torose
Cylindical, with regular constrictions.
trailing trailing
Growing along the ground.
tree tree
A perennial woody plant 6m (18 feet) or taller, usually with a single main stem (trunk).
triangular triangular
Having three sides and three angles, as in a two-dimensional pyramid.
Trichiotinus assimilis Trichiotinus assimilis
Hairy Scarab Beetle, photo ©Mike Boone, BugGuide.net .
tricolpate tricolpate
With three compound openings with pores in furrows (in pollen).
trifid
Divided into three.
trigonous trigonous
Three-angled.
tripinnate tripinnate
Three times-divided, as with ferns that have pinnae divided into pinnules, which are further divided into pinnulets.
trophophore trophophore
The sterile blade of moonworts (Botrychium species) and adder's-tongues (Ophioglossum species) that does not bear sporangia.
trophophyll trophophyll
In Lycophytes, sterile leaves not associated with sporangia.
truncate truncate
With the base or apex of an organ latitudinally straight, appearing to have been cut off.
tuber tuber
A thickened portion or branch of an underground stem that stores water or starch, like a potato.
tubercle tubercle
A low, round bump.
tuberculate tuberculate
Covered with low, rounded bumps; usually refers to the texture of a quillwort (Isoetes) megaspore.
turion turion
A detachable vegetative bud that can form a new plantlet (common in aquatic plants).
twig twig
Branchlet of a woody plant; the current year's growth of the stem and branches.