Glossary

Category: I

  • Indigo

    Indigo

    (Colour) deep blackish-blue (from the dye obtained from Indigofera species). Group of plants that yield a blue dye. A blue dye obtained from plants or made synthetically.  

  • Indigenous

    Indigenous

    Occurring naturally in the area. A native of the country in which it is found. Natural or inborn. Native to or representative of a country or region. Of plant species in relation to any country or geographical region: native to that region—that is, growing there in the wild and believed always to have occurred there…

  • Indicator

    (Usually followed by ‘species’), any plant or taxon that is thought to show a condition of the environment (e.g. a copper indicator or an indicator of human disturbance). Usually refers to a pH indicator. Various dyes change color at a specific degree of acidity or alkalinity, and this color change is used as an indicator…

  • Indeterminate

    (Of a shoot) capable of ± indefinite extension; (Of an inflorescence) with the lower or outer flowers opening before the upper or inner ones, and with the floral axis continuing to grow indefinitely.  

  • Indented

    Marked with a dent or sharp impression.  

  • Indehiscent

    (Of fruits) not splitting open. Remaining closed at maturity. Not opening or splitting to release the contents at maturity. Not opening, or not opening by valves or along regular lines, as some fruits and anthers. Describes a fruit that does not split open at maturity. Remaining closed at maturity; not dehiscent. Not opening by pores…

  • Indefinite

    Numerous, but not counted exactly; (Of shoot growth) continuous. Too numerous to mention, or when the parts are not uniform in different in-dividuals.  

  • Incurved

    Incurved

    Bending inwards. (Of cap margin) Curved or bent inward, with edge pointing at the stem. Curving upward and inward, toward the center or base of the organ in question. The opposite is recurved, which means curving downward and outward.  

  • Incumbent

    Lying on and closely parallel to (e.g. cotyledons with the radicle against the surface as in some Cruciferae/Brassicaceae). Leaning or resting upon, as anthers when looking inwards.  

  • Incubously

    Inserted obliquely so that the distal part covers the base of the next one up (e.g. of leaves on a stem).