Glossary

Category: O

  • Ontogeny

    Development of an individual through various stages. Embryonic development of an individual. The history of the development of an individual organism. Development of an organism from fertilized egg through developmental and growth stages to maturity. The history of the development of an individual from the fertilized egg to maturity.  

  • One-internode

    (Of orchids) pseudobulbs appearing to have only a single swollen internode, the other internodes, which are highly compressed, are more distal and have one or more leaves and inflorescences.  

  • Ombrophyte

    Adapted to living in areas of very high rainfall [obscure term].  

  • Olive

    Olive

    (Colour) dark yellow-green. Before the word olive was adopted from French in the thirteenth century, the olive was known in England as the eleberge, literally meaning oil-berry. For the ancient Greeks, the olive, which they called elaia, was likewise a kind of oilberry, so much so that they derived their word for oil from its…

  • Olivaceous

    (Colour) olive-green (which is preferred).  

  • Oligotrophic

    (Of substrate) poor in minerals.  

  • Oligostemonous

    With few stamens [very obscure term].  

  • Oligospermous

    With few seeds.  

  • Oligophyllous

    With few leaves or leaflets.  

  • Oligomerous

    With fewer than the usual number of parts.