Glossary - The Pollination Biology of North American Orchids: North of Florida and Mexico - page 190

Incumbent Resting on or bending downwards, as the anthers of many orchids that
bend downward during development.
Incurved Bent or curved toward the center of an organ.
Inflorescence A cluster of flowers or flowering branches that may include bracts
but not foliage leaves.
Integument Protective cell layers enclosing the nucellus of the ovule, maturing to
become the seed coat.
Intergeneric Between genera.
Introgression (Introgressive) The transfer of genes from one species to another
through recurrent backcrossing of a fertile hybrid with one of its parents.
Involute Edges rolled inward or toward the upper surface; cf. revolute.
Labellum (1) The median petal in an orchid flower, usually differing in size, shape,
and/or color from the others, also known as the lip. (2) a fleshy pad terminating
a fly's proboscis.
Lamella (pl. lamellae) A thin layer, plate, or elevation.
Lanceolate Longer than wide with the maximum width toward the base and taper-
ing toward the apex.
Larva An independent, immature feeding stage of an insect, usually in reference
to one undergoing complete metamorphosis.
Lateral Pertaining to a structure positioned on either side of a medial line dissect-
ing a flower into two halves; e.g., “lateral petal.”
Lax Loosely arranged, not dense or crowded.
Ligulate Shaped like a tongue or strap.
Lip See labellum.
Magnet species The idea that species with flowers very attractive to pollinators
can increase the local abundance of pollinators and thereby increase visitation to
sympatric species having less attractive or non-rewarding flowers.
Male fitness The differential contribution of the male to the production of viable
offspring; the relative reproductive success of genes contributed by pollen as
compared to ovules.
Male function Pollen donation.
Massula (pl. Massulae) A mass or packet of pollen grains in orchids having sec-
tile pollinia.
Maxilla (pl. Maxillae) A component of the insects mouthparts lying just behind
the jaws. In bumblebees it forms a sheath surrounding the proboscis.
Medial Located in or near or pertaining to the middle of something.
Median In a series of recorded values that quantity having an equal number of
observations on either side of it or an average of two middle values when the
number of values recorded is an even number.
Megagametophyte The female gametophyte or haploid generation.
Megasporocyte A special cell of the megasporangium also known as the me-
gaspore mother cell that undergoes reduction division or meiosis to produce four
haploid megaspores within the ovule.
Mentum A chin-like extension at the base of some orchid flowers resulting from a
fusion of the lateral petals with the base of the lip or column (column-foot).