Botanical Words Alphabetical List - HO
HOARY: Covered with a whitish or grayish-white down.
HOMOGAMOUS: 1. Of a plant, having all the flowers alike. 2. Of a flower, having the stamens and pistils maturing at the same period.
HOMOGAMY: The state of being homogamous.
HOMOGONOUS: Having the stamens and pistils of the same height in members of the same species.
HOMOGONY: The state of being homogonous.
HOMOMALLOUS: Referring to the leaves of mosses, curving to one side.
HOMOPETALOUS: Having all the petals formed alike.
HOMOSPOROUS: Producing only one kind of spore.
HOMOSTYLED: Having all styles one length.
HONEYDEW: 1. A sweet substance found on the leaves of trees and other plants in small drops, like dew. It is the sugary substance secreted from the leaves of plants, occurring most often in hot weather. It usually is seen as small, glistening drops, but it may drip abundantly from the leaves, when it has been called manna. This especially happens with Fraxinus Ornus (the Manna Ash) and Carduus arctiodes. 2. A sweetish secretion exuded by many insects, such as aphids, mealybugs, scale and whiteflies. The secretion attracts ants, which harvest the honeydew and protect the pests from natural predators. It also develops a blackish mold, known as sooty mold. Plants that are heavily infested, especially trees, drip honeydew, staining anything underneath, such as vehicles. The best control is to eliminate ants (banding with sticky materials is effective) from the plant and then control the source pest. Insecticidal soaps will help clean the foliage.
HONEYDEWED: Covered with honeydew, usually referring to buds and foliage.
HOOK CLIMBER: A plant that climbs by the aid of hooks or prickles, such as certain types of roses.
HORIZON SOIL: A layer of soil approximately parallel to the soil surface.
HORMONE: Any of certain chemical substances that are produced by living cells in one part of the plant and initiate cellular activity (such as growth or flowering) in a distant part of the plant.
HORTICULTURAL: Pertaining to horticulture.
HORTICULTURAL OIL: A refined oil sprayed on plants to control a variety of pests. It kills by smothering the pests and their eggs or by disrupting membrane functions. It may also prevent some fungal diseases. Highly refined types are called summer, superior, or verdant oils and can be used during the growing season as long as temperatures are below 90ยบ F. Heavier types are called dormant oils and are used on dormant, deciduous plants.
HORTICULTURE: The cultivation of a garden, an orchard, or a nursery; the art and science of cultivating flowers, fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants.
HORTICULTURIST: A person who specializes in horticulture.
HORTUS SICCUS: A collection of specimens of plants carefully dried and preserved for botanical purposes; and herbarium.
HOSE GUIDES: Devices, anchored by stakes, used to route a garden hose above or around plants. The notched, or open-loop-top, type is used to route a hose above or around plants. The spool type is used to guide a hose around corners.
HOSE-IN-HOSE: A flower that appears to have a double corolla, one within another, as in certain Azaleas.
HOST: A plant that supports a parasite that lives in or upon it.
HOTBED: A bed of soil heated by fermenting substances and covered with glass to keep out cold air; intended for raising early plants or for protecting tender exotics.
HOTCAP: An individual, conical plant cover used to protect against frost, sun, birds, and insects.
HOTHOUSE: A structure kept heated for the growth of tender, exotic plants or subtropical plants, or for the production of native fruits, flowers, etc., out of season. The temperature of the hothouse is kept between the temperatures of the greenhouse and the stove-house, or orchid-house.
HOUSEPLANT: Any plant that is suitable for growing in the conditions of a house.
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