North American Orchid Conservation Center

Glossary: M

maculate maculate
Spotted or splotched.
mamilla mamilla
A nipple-shaped projection.
marcescent marcescent
Withering but persistent and not falling.
margin margin
Edge.
marginal marginal
Pertaining to the edge of a structure.
marshes
Wetlands dominated by herbaceous vegetation such as grasses, reeds or sedges.
meadows
Open, sunny fields vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants.
Megachile brevis Megachile brevis
Leaf-cutter Bee, photo USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Laboratory.
Megachile inermis Megachile inermis
Unarmed Leaf-cutter Bee, photo ©Sierra Williams, USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Laboratory.
Megachile melanophaea Megachile melanophaea
Fuzzy-legged Leaf-cutter Bee, photo ©Sierra Williams, USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Laboratory.
megaspore megaspore
In species that produce two kinds of spore (e.g., Isoetes, Selaginella, Azolla, Marsilea), the larger spore that gives rise to the "female", egg-producing gametophyte.
Melipona beecheii Melipona beecheii
Stingless Bee, photo ©David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org.
membranaceous membranaceous
Thin, flexible, almost translucent; like a membrane or film.
mentum
A 'chin-like' projection at the base of the flower, made up of the column and the sepals.
mericarp mericarp
A single-carpellate section of a schizocarp.
merous
Having a specified number or multiple of parts.
mesic
Moist (as in a habitat).
mesifixed mesifixed
Attached at or toward the middle, as in the area where a petiole meets the leaf blade.
microspore
In species that produce two kinds of spore (e.g., Isoetes, Selaginella, Azolla, Marsilea), the smaller spore that gives rise to the "male", sperm-producing gametophyte.
midrib midrib
The main vessel of a leaf, the continuation of the petiole; midvein.
midvein midvein
The biggest vein that runs down the middle of the leaf blade; midrib.
monadelphous monadelphous
With all of the filaments of the stamens joined into a single group.
moniliform moniliform
Bead-like.
monocarpic
Flowering only once before dying.
monochasial cyme monochasial cyme
A 2-flowered cyme with a terminal flower and a single, lateral flower.
monochlamydeous monochlamydeous
Perianth comprised of 1 series of parts, as in a single whorl of sepals or petals.
monocot monocot
A flowering plant with embryos that produce only one seed leaf (compare "dicotyledon" or "dicot"); monocotyledon.
monoecious
A plant that bears some flowers with pollen-bearing organs (stamens) and separate flowers with ovule-bearing organs (carpels).
monomorphic
Having only one form.
mouth mouth
Where a tubular structure such as a flower opens up into lateral lobes.
mucilage
A slimy or snot-like excretion, rich in heavy starches.
mucro mucro
A short, abrupt projecting tip.
mucronate mucronate
Ending abruptly in a short, stiff point.
muricate muricate
With small, pointed projections.
myco-heterotrophic
Plants with little or no chlorophyll that depend on fungi, not photosynthesis, for carbon and other nutrients.