Glossary - The Pollination Biology of North American Orchids: North of Florida and Mexico - page 194

Self-compatible Capable of producing seed by self-pollination.
Self-incompatible (Self-sterility) Incapable of producing seed by self-pollination.
Self-pollination The transport of pollen from the anthers to the stigma of the same
flower, a flower on the same inflorescence, or a flower on the same genet.
Sepal An individual component of the outermost whorl of the perianth.
Sessile Attached without any kind of stalk.
Sinuous Wavy or curving in alternate directions.
Spatulate (Spathulate) Having a broad, rounded apex tapering to a narrow base;
spatula-shaped.
Spike A type of simple, indeterminate inflorescence with sessile flowers borne on
a more or less elongate common axis.
Spur A hollow tubular or sac-like extension of the labellum or other floral part that
may or may not contain nectar.
Stamen The male or pollen producing organ of the flower typically comprised of
an anther, filament, and connective, but variously modified in orchids.
Stigma The part of the carpel on which pollen lands and germinates.
Stipe, Stipes (pl. Stipites) (1) In orchids, a stalk of the pollinarium derived from
the rostellum, not the anther, connecting the viscidium to the caudicle or pollin-
ium. (2) in insects, a mouthpart, specifically, a stalk-like component of the max-
illa distal to the cardo and bearing the maxillary palps.
Subspecies A subdivision in the taxonomic hierarchy with a rank subordinate to
species.
Superposed Positioned on top of one another; said of pollinia that are flattened
parallel to the long axis of the clinandrum or anther bed.
Sympatric Refers to populations or species distributed in the same or overlapping
geographic areas; cf. allopatric.
Syndrome A group of functionally correlated characters reflecting adaptation to a
particular combination of environmental or biotic conditions.
Taxon (pl. Taxa) Any named taxonomic group such as a species, genus, or family.
Tegula A kind of stipe or pollinium stalk derived from the dorsal epidermis of the
rostellum; cf. hamulus.
Terrestrial In reference to plants, growing in soil on the ground; cf. epiphytic.
Tetrad A group of four cells formed by meiosis; as applied to pollen, four pollen
grains that remain attached as a unit at maturity.
Tetraploid An organism or cell with four complete sets of chromosomes in each
nucleus.
Thorax In insects, the middle subdivision of the body positioned between the head
and abdomen and bearing the legs and wings (when present).
Throat The orifice in a gamopetalous corolla or calyx, positioned between the tube
and the limb.
Tibia The fourth segment and lowermost long segment of an insect's leg.
Ultraviolet Electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths (between about 40 and
400 nm) that are invisible to humans but visible to many pollinators.
Undulate Having a wavy margin or surface; cf. sinuate.