Botanical Words Alphabetical List - AC

ACANTHA: A botanical word that refers to a spine, thorn or prickle.

ACARPOUS: This describes a plant that is sterile.

ACAULESCENT: A plant that is stemless. The word Acauline is also used.

ACCRETIVE: Increasing or adding by growth; continued development within.

ACCUMBENT: Lying against. Mainly used to describe the first sprouts of an embryo when they lie against the body of the seed.

-ACEAE: New Latin suffix, meaning "the plants of the nature of", which is used to form names of families of plants. Examples are Liliaceae, Rosaceae, etc.

ACEPHATE: A man-made, systemic insecticide that is used to control numerous pests such as aphids, scale and thrips, of most ornamental plants.

ACERVATE: Growing in heaps or in compact clusters.

ACHENE: This is a small, dry, hard, one-celled, one-seeded fruit that stays closed at maturity.

ACICULAR: Needle-shaped.

ACIDIFY: To lower the soil's pH to meet the level of acid soil.

ACIDITY: The level of acid prescent in the soil.

ACID SOIL: Soil with a pH value of less than 7, or lacking in lime. See also alkaline and neutral.

ACINACEOUS: Consisting of or full of kernels.

ACINACIFOLIOUS: Having scimitar-shaped leaves.

ACINACIFORM: Shaped like a scimitar (usually describes a leaf shape). An acinaciform leaf has one edge convex and thin and the other edge straighter and thick. This term is also used to describe the shape of the pods of some beans.

ACINARIOUS: Covered with little round, stalked, grape-like sacs, as in some algae.

ACINIFORM: Having the form of grapes, or growing in grape-like clusters; acinose.

ACROGEN: A plant that increases by growth at the summit or terminal buds only. The acrogens form a division of the Cryptogams, including ferns, fern allies, liverworts, and mosses.

ACTIVATOR: Any substances, such as microorganisms and nutrients, which are added to a compost pile to speed the breakdown of organic matter. Also called compost activator and compost inoculant.

ACUMINATE: Tapers toward the end into a long point.

ACUTE: Sharp-pointed.

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