Glossary - The Pollination Biology of North American Orchids: North of Florida and Mexico - page 193

Proximal Denoting the part of an organ situated nearest to the point of origin or
attachment to the main body.
Pseudocopulation A type of mimicry in which flowers resemble female insects
and the males, attracted by sexual instincts, attempt to copulate with them.
Pseudogamy Pollination stimulates agamospermy but no fertilization occurs.
Pseudopollen Pollen-imitating structures on the flower that attract pollinators by
deception or nutritive, granular, pollen-like cells offered as a floral reward.
Pubescent Provided with short hairs, especially when soft and down-like.
Raceme A simple, indeterminate inflorescence with pedicelled flowers on a com-
mon, more or less elongate central axis.
Racemose In racemes or having a raceme-like inflorescence.
Ramet A stem and apparently individual plant belonging to a genet or clone.
Recombination A major source of variation that arises during meiosis through
crossing over and the reassortment of entire chromosomes.
Recurved Curved backward or downward.
Reflexed Abruptly bent downward or backward.
Reproductive success The relative production of fertile offspring by a particular
genome.
Resource limitation Limitation of the number of seeds or fruits produced as a
result of insufficient nutrients, water, or light.
Resupinate Twisting or bending of the orchid pedicel or ovary so that the lip,
which is uppermost in the bud, is positioned on the lower side when the flower
is mature.
Revolute Edges rolled downwards or toward the lower surface.
Rhizome An indeterminate, prostrate or subterranean stem that in plants such as
sympodial orchids is made up of the bases of successive aerial shoots.
Ringent Gaping or opening wide.
Rostellum A part of the median stigma lobe in orchids that separates the stigmatic
surface from the anthers and that produces a glue that attaches the pollinia to the
pollinator.
Saccate Deeply concave, pouch- or sac-shaped.
Sapromyophily (Sapromyophilous) The floral syndrome associated with pollina-
tion by carrion- and dung-flies attached by dark colors and putrid odors.
Scape A leafless flowering stalk (peduncle) arising from the ground and carrying a
single flower or inflorescence.
Scapose Having a scape or scape-like structure.
Scutellum In insects, the posterior part of the second and third dorsal thoracic seg-
ments, the mesonotum and metanotum; usually used in reference to the mesono-
tum as it is much reduced on the metanotum in most insect groups.
Scutum In insects, the second and largest part of the upper surface of a thoracic
segment. It is preceded by the prescutum and followed by the scutellum.
Sectile Referring to soft, granular pollinia that are subdivided into small packets
(massulae) interconnected by elastic threads.
Secund Directed to one side only, as with flowers arranged in a row on one side
of the stem.