ACICULAR - Needle-shaped.

ACROCARPOUS - Having the capsules at the tip of the stem, or a well-developed branch.

ACUMINATE - Tapering to a narrow point, applied to leaves.

ACUTE - Having a sharp point shorter than acuminate.

ALAR CELLS - The cells at the basal angles of leaves.

ANGULAR (Cells) - See ALAR CELLS.

ANNULUS - A ring of cells between the mouth of the capsule and the lid. These are hygroscopic of the capsule and roll back when dry, opening the capsule.

ANTHERIDIUM - The male reproductive organ containing the antherozoids.

APICAL CELLS - Cells of the leaf tip.

APOPHYSIS - See HYPOPHYSIS

APPENDICULATE (Cilia). - Having short transverse bars at intervals.

ARCHEGONIUM - Female reproductive organ containing a single egg cell.

ARCUATE (Capsule) - Bent in a curve like a bow.

AREOLATION - Net-work of the cells of a leaf.

ARTICULATE - Jointed as teeth with transverse bars.

ARISTATE (Leaf) - Ending in a bristle-shaped point.

AURICLES - Small lobes or patches of cells at the basal angles of leaves.

AUTOICOUS - Having male and female organs on separate inflorescences on the same plant.

BEAK (Beaked) - Slender tip on the operculum.

BICOSTATE - Having a double costa.

BODERED - With one or two rows of marginal cells different from the rest of the cells of the leaf.

BRACTS - Special leaves surrounding the reproductive organs (perichaetial)

CAESPITOSE - Tufted or matted.

CALYPTRA - A thin veil or hood which covers the operculum.

CAMPANULATE - Bell-shaped.

CANALICULATE (Leaf) - With in-curved margins to form a channel.

CANESCENT - Hoary.

CAPILLARY - Hair-like

CAPSULE - Enlarged end of the sporophyte which bears the spores.

CARINATE - Keeled like a boat. Refers to the segments of the inner peristome.

CERNUOUS (Capsule) - Drooping or nodding.

CILIA - Hair-like threads of inner peristome.

CIRCINATE (Leaves) - Curved into a circle so that the apex nearly touches the base. (See FALCATE).

CIRRATE (Leaves) - Curled upon drying - more regularly curled than crispate.

CLEISTOCARPUS (Capsule) - Opening irregularly, not by a lid or valves.

COLLUM - Neck or tapering base of the capsule.

COLUMELLA - A central column of the capsule. The operculum may stick to it and be raised upon it.

COMPLANATE - Having the leaves more or less flattened out in one place.

CONVOLUTE (leaves) - Sheathing or rolled within one another.

CORDATE - Heart-shaped .

COSTA - The nerve or mid-rib of a leaf.

CRIBROSE - (Peristome Teeth) - Perforated with small holes.

CUCULLATE (Calyptra) - Hood-shaped and split on one side only. (CF. MITRIFORM OR MITRATE).

DECURRENT - Referring to the leaf-bases running down diploid stem on each side, and wing-like.

DIOECIOUS - Having male and female organs on separate plants.

DISTICHOUS (Leaves) - In two opposite rows on the stem.

ECOSTATE - Without a costa or mid-rib.

EMERGENT (Costa) - One with perichaetial leaves reaching top of costa but not concealing it.

ENDEMIC - Confined to a single country or geographical area.

ENTIRE (Margin) - Unbroken; not toothed.

ERECT (Leaves) - Standing close to the stem.

EXCURRENT (Costa) - One extending beyond the lamina of the leaf.

EXSERTED (Capsule) - When the perichaetial leaves do not reach the base of it. (Cf. EMERGENT AND IMMERSED).

FALCATE - Sickle-shaped.

FASCICLE - A bunch of leaves or branches.

FLAGELLA - String-like branches.

FLEXUOSE - Waved.

FUSCOUS - Dull-brown.

GAMETOPHYTE - The leafy moss plant or the generation producing male and female sex-cells - all the plant except the seta and capsule.

GEMMAE - Small bud-like bodies, capable of reproducing the moss asexually.

GIBBOUS (Capsule) - More swollen on one side than on the other.

GLABROUS - Smooth, not hairy.

GLAUCOUS - Blue-grey or silvery in color.

GUIDES - The large parenchyma cells found in the x-section of the costa of Dicranums.

GYMNOSTOMOUS - Lacking in peristome.

HISPIDE - Having short, stiff hairs.

HYALINE - Colorless and partially transparent.

HYGROSCOPIC - Drying out and absorbing water readily. Such structures usually bread or curl upon drying.

HYPOPHYSIS - A swelling of the seta immediately below the capsule. (See APOPHYSIS)

IMBRICATED - Closely overlapping, like shingles.

IMMERSED (Capsule) - Having the perichaetial leaves projecting beyond it.

INCRASSATE (Cell-walls) - Thickened.

JULACEOUS - Smooth, slender and cylindric.

LAMELLAE - Thin plates or sheets formed by cells on the costae of Polytrichaceae.

LAMINA - The blade of the leaf.

LANCEOLATE - Long and narrow, but widest at the base.

LID - (See OPERCULUM)

LIGULATE - Strap-shaped.

LIMB - The upper part of the leaf as distinguished from the leaf base.

MAMILLOSE (Leaf Cells) - Convex with a short projection in the center.

MARGINED - (See BORDERED).

MITRATE (MITRIFORM) (CALYPTRA) - Cleft on two or more sides. (Cf. CUCULLATE).

MONOECIOUS - Having the male and female sex organs on the same plant.

MUCRONATE - Having a short, abrupt point.

MUTICOUS - Rounded; not pointed,

NECK - See COLLUM.

NERVE - See COSTA

NODULOSE - Covered with small knots.

OCHREA - The sheath around the base of the seta.

OPERCULUM - The lid which closes the capsule and permits the spores to escape when it falls.

OVATE - Egg-shaped; broadest a little above the base.

PANDURIFORM (Leaf) - Fiddle-shaped.

PAPILLOSE - roughened by small protuberances.

PARAPHYLLIA - Small, leaf-like organs found on the stems and leaves of some mosses.

PARAPHYSES - Hyaline hairs among reproductive organs.

PAROICOUS - Having male and female sex organs in the same cluster but not mixed; the male organs are borne in the axils of the perichaetial bracts below the female.

PATENT - Spreading at an angle of 26 to 45 degrees.

PENDULOUS - Hanging, or drooping.

PERCURRENT (Costa) - Reaching to the leaf apex but not beyond.

PERICHAETIAL - Sec BRACTS.

PERISTOME - The ring of teeth or fringe surrounding the capsule. When the peristome is double, the inner row is known as segments.

PINNATE - Branching like a feather.

PLEUROCARPOUS - Having the capsules borne on short, lateral branches.

PLICATE - Folded in pleats or furrows.

PROTONEMA - The green, branched, algae-like threads produced from the spore and sometimes persistent.

PULVINATE - Cushion-like.

PYRIFORM - Pear-shaped.

QUADRATE - Square or nearly so.

RADICLES - See RHIZOIDS.

RECURVED - Curved backwards .

REFLEXED (Teeth) - Curved back against capsule.

RHIZOIDS - See RADICLES.

ROSTRATE (Operculum) - Beaked.

RUGOSE - Wrinkled, usually transversely.

RUPESTRAL - Growing on rocks.

SCABROSE - See Papillose

SECUND - Twisted or turned to one side.

SESSILE - Without a stalk.

SETA - The stalk on which the capsule is borne.

SERRATE (Margin) - With sharp teeth.

SINUOSE (Cell walls) - Waved from side to side.

SPORTS - Propagative units borne in the capsule.

SPOROPHYTE - The spore-bearing generation consisting of seta and capsule.

SQUARROSE - Spreading at right angles from the stem.

STOLONS - Creeping stems.

STRUMOSE - Having a goiter-like swelling at the base of the capsule.

SUBSTRATUM - The material in which a plant grows.

SUBULATE - Having a fine point like a needle or awl.

SULCATE - Deeply furrowed.

SYNOECIOUS - Having male and female sex organs mixed in the same cluster.

TEETH - The fringe around the edge of the capsule.

TERETE - Circular in cross-section.

TOMENTOSE - Covered with a thick felt of radicles.

TUMID - Swollen.

TURBINATE - Top-shaped.

UNCINATE - Hooked; curved back at point.

UNDULATE - Wavy surface or margin.

VEIL - See CALYPTRA.

WHORLED (Leaves) - With several leaves rising at one point of the stem.

WAVY - See UNDULATE.