Botanical Words Alphabetical List - DI

DIADELPHOUS: Having stamens united in two sets by their filaments. In pea and bean flowers, nine out of ten stamens are usually united while one is by itself.

DIAGEOTROPIC: Growing at right angles to the direction of gravity.

DIAGEOTROPISM: A turning of the roots, branches, or rhizomes in a direction at right angles to that of gravity.

DIAHELIOTROPIC: The turning of the upper surfaces of a plant's leaves toward the sunlight; pertaining to diaheliotropism.

DIAHELIOTROPISM: The tendency of a plant to turn the upper surfaces of its leaves toward the light.

DIALYCARPOUS: Bearing fruit composed of separate carpels. Also apocarpous.

DIALYPETALOUS: Plants that have the corolla of the flower divided into distinct petals; also polypetalous.

DIALYPHYLLOUS: Made of separate leaves. Applied to a calyx formed from several sepals or a corolla formed by several petals.

DIALYSEPALOUS: Having a calyx made of separate sepals; polysepalous.

DIANDROUS: A flower with two stamens.

DIATOMACEOUS EARTH: A material made from the skeletal remains of diatoms (single-celled algae). It is used as an insecticide. The sharp edges of the diatoms wound soft-bodied insects like ants and aphids. It is ordinarily used as a barrier but can be applied to leaves. It is most effective in hot, dry weather.

DIAZINON: A man-made insecticide widely used against many soil pests, especially in lawns; however, it is very toxic to birds.

DIBBLE: A pointed tool used to make holes in the ground for seeds and seedlings.

DICHASIAL: Pertaining to or resembling a dichasium.

DICHASIUM: A flower cluster with two main stalks or branchlets within the cluster.

DICHLAMYDEOUS: Having both a calyx and a corolla.

DICHOGAMOUS: Exhibiting or characterized by dichogamy. Also dichogamic.

DICHOGAMY: A provision in hermaphroditic flowers to ensure cross-fertilization (and prevent self-fertilization) by a difference in the time of maturity of the anthers and the stigma.

DICHOTOMY: A mode of branching by repeated forking, as is shown in some stems, the veining of some leaves, etc.

DICLINISM: The state of having stamens or pistils in separate flowers; the state of being diclinous.

DICLINOUS: Having stamens or pistils in separate flowers.

DICOCCOUS: Formed of two one-seeded carpels.

DICOTYLEDON: A plant that produces a newly emerged seedling with two seed leaves before it produces mature leaves. Monocotyledons produce a newly emerged seedling with only one leaf.

DICOTYLEDONEAE: One of two major classes of plants, the other being Monocotyledonae. Dicotyledons have two seed leaves; the mature leaves branching with net-like veins and the flowers have five, or sometimes, four parts. They include deciduous trees, broadleaf evergreens, flowering perennials, most vegetables, and weeds.

DICTYOGEN: A monocotyledon having net-veined leaves.

DICTYOGENOUS: Having the character of a dictyogen; having the general character of an endogen, but with netted leaf-veins.

DIDYMOUS: Twofold; twin; growing double, such as the fruits of umbelliferous plants or the tubers of some orchids.

DIDYNAMOUS: Having four stamens in two unequal pairs, such as most mints.

DIDYNAMY: The condition of being in two unequal pairs, such as stamens.

DIEBACK: The death of tips or shoots due to damage or disease.

DIFFUSE: Spreading widely and loosely, extended; dispersed; scattered.

DIG: To break up and turn over piecemeal, as a portion of ground.

DIGITATE: Having deep radiating divisions, like fingers, arising from one point; especially applied to compound leaflets that grow from the top of the leaf stem.

DIMEROUS: Having two parts in each whorl of flowers.

DIMIDIATE: Having one part so much smaller than the other as to appear to be missing, or almost so.

DIMORPHISM: The occurrence of two distinct forms of flowers, leaves, or other parts on the same plant, or on plants of the same species, as in some Eucalyptus.

DIMORPHOUS: Existing in two forms of leaf or flower or other part on the same plant or on plants of the same species.

DIOECIOPOLYGAMOUS: Polygamous with a tendency to dioeciousness, or to the prevalence of flowers of one sex on individual plants, such as a plant with mostly female flowers.

DIOECIOUS: Bearing male and female flowers on separate plants, such as in holly and willow. Also dioecian.

DIPETALOUS: Having two petals.

DIPHYLLOUS: Having two leaves.

DIPLOTEGIA: A seed capsule that develops from the ovary in some plants such as the iris, in which the ovary in situated below the floral envelopes.

DIPTEROUS: Having two wing-like appendages.

DISBOSCATION: The act of disforesting; the act of converting woodland into farmland.

DISBUD: To remove buds or shoots; to remove unnecessary buds of a tree, vine or flowering plant to encourage production of high-quality flowers or fruits. Also called pinching back or stopping.

DISC: An elevated region of the labellum (of an Orchid), normally in the midlobe, distinguished by color and/or accessory features such as calli, keels, or lamellae.

DISCOID: 1. Pertaining to the button-like center of flowers belonging to the Compositae family (i.e. daisy, sunflower, etc.). 2. Having only the central part and not the outer petal-like parts of the flower, as in Tansy.

DISH GARDEN: A collection of plants, generally small ornamentals, grown together in one container.

DISINFECTION: The destruction of germs of infectious diseases.

DISK: 1. Any flattened circular organ of a plant, such as the adhesive ends of the tendrils of the Virginia creeper. 2. The button-like center of the flowers of plants such as sunflowers and asters. 3. A fleshy enlargement of the receptacle in some flowers.

DISK FLOWER: In the family Compositae, one of the miniature, tubular components of the central area of the flower head.

DISPERMOUS: Having two seeds.

DISPERSION OF SOIL: The breaking up of soil into very fine particles and its suspension in water.

DISSECTED: Deeply divided into many narrow segments.

DISSEPIMENT: A partition within an organ of a plant (i.e. the membrane that separates sections of the orange and other citrus fruits).

DISSEPIMENTAL: Pertaining to or of the nature of a dissepiment.

DISSILIENT: Bursting open with some force, as the pod or capsule of Impatiens.

DISTICHOUS: Arranged in two vertical rows on opposite sides of an axis.

DIVARICATE: Spreading far apart.

DIVARICATION: The act of branching off or diverging; separation into branches.

DIVERGENT: Spreading.

DIVIDED: Separated to the base or midrib (i.e. leaves of palms or clover).

DIVISION: A method of propagation by which a plant clump is lifted and divided into separate pieces, which include roots and a growing point, during dormancy. The pieces are immediately replanted.

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