Poisonous Plants of the Southern United States

Glossary

achene - a small, dry, hard 1-locular, 1-seeded, indehiscent fruit.

acuminate - tapering to a point.

acute - sharp pointed, 90° angle.

ascites - an excessive accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal (abdominal) cavity.

axil - the angle found between the leaf and stem.

axillary - in an axil.

bipinnate - twice pinnate.

blade - the expanded portion of a leaf.

bract - a leaf-like structure subtending a flower.

capsule - a dry, or occasionally leathery, dehiscent fruit.

ciliate - fringed with hairs.

comatose - affected with a coma, which indicates a state of complete loss of consciousness from which the animal cannot be aroused.

compound - composed of two or more similar and united parts, as in a compound leaf

cordate - heart-shaped with the point at the apex.

crenate - shallowly round-toothed or teeth obtuse; scalloped.

dehiscent - opening regularly by slits like a pea or pod or cotton ball.

dentate - toothed, the sharp or coarse teeth perpendicular to the margin.

denticulate - minutely or finely dentate.

diuretic - a drug or other agent that promotes the secretion of urine.

dropsy - an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the cellular tissues or in a body cavity.

drupe - a fleshy, usually one-seeded, indehiscent fruit, as a cherry or plum.

edema - the accumulation of abnormally large amounts of fluid in the intercellular tissue spaces of the body.

elliptic - being narrowed to relatively round ends and widest at or about the middle.

entire - a margin without teeth or other irregularities, along the margin.

follicle - a dry fruit dehiscent along one line.

gastritis - inflammation of the stomach.

gastroenteritis - inflammation of the stomach and intestines.

glabrous - without hairs.

hemorrhage - excessive bleeding. A copious escape of blood from vessels.

hemorrhagic enteritis - inflammation of the intestines characterized by the passing of blood in the droppings.

icterus - a yellow appearance of the skin and mucous membranes. It is caused by liver damage, impairment of bile flow, or excessive destruction of red blood cells.

indehiscent - not regularly opening.

jaundice - a common term for icterus.

lanceolate - lance-shaped, much longer than wide, widened at or above the base and tapering to the apex.

linear - long and narrow with essentially parallel margins, as the blades of most grasses.

necropsy - an examination of the body after death. An autopsy or post mortem examination.

ob - a prefix signifying inversion, as obovate.

ovate - with an outline like that of a hen's egg, the broader end below the middle.

palmate - lobed, divided or ribbed like the fingers from the palm of the hand.

panicle - a cluster of flowers (inflorescence) in which the branches of the primary axis are racemose and the flowers pedicellate.

pappus - a ring of appendages (modified calyx), often hairs capping the fruit of many Asteraceae.

petal - one unit of the corolla.

petiole - leaf stalk.

photosensitization - sensitivity to light. Usually used to indicate a condition in animals when their superficial layers of non-pigmented skin exhibit dermatitis when exposed to sunlight.  The condition may develop when animals consume certain poisonous plants or other agents that are not properly metabolized by the liver.

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