Home › Glossar Y › Glossar Y: Skin

Glossar Y: Skin

Skin, n. The outside covering of an animal or plant. Skin cells, n. The cells of which the skin is made up. Snowdrop, n. An early spring flower cultivated in gardens; it sometimes blossoms under the snow.

Soda, n. A compound of sodium, carbon, and oxygen; found in the composition of some plants.

Sodium, n. One of the elements of common salt, and also found in the tissues of plants and animals.

GLOSSARY.

Sorrel, n. A.-S. sūr, sour; a kind of plant with acid leaves. Sphinx, n. In Greek mythology, a monster with the head of a woman, the wings of an eagle, and the claws of a lion; she sat on a rock and proposed a riddle to all who passed and killed those who could not guess it. The Egyptian sphinx has no wings and is not the same as the Greek monster; it is generally placed in rows in avenues leading to temples, and the largest and most famous Egyptian sphinx is the Great Sphinx near the great pyramids of Ghizeh; it held a temple between its paws. Spring beauties, n. Pretty, delicate, and early spring flowers. Spur, n. A pointed instrument worn on the heel to goad a horse; any sharp projection formed like a horseman's spur. Stamen, n. L. stamen, thread, string, fibre; the floral organ containing the fertilizing pollen. The stamen, like the pistil, is believed to be a modified leaf.

Starch, n. A substance composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, forming one of the principal elements in plants and necessary as food to animals.

Stiffening cells, n. The woody cells and other tough-walled cells that serve to keep the shape of a plant.

Stigma, n. The structure at the top of the style where the pollen is received.

Stipules, n. L. stipula, a stalk, stem, blade; the small, leaf-like appendages at the base of the petiole of leaves.

Stoma, n. From a Greek. word meaning "mouth-opening"; a small opening in the skin of leaves and young stems leading to the air cavities within the plant; a breathing pore. Stomata, n. The plural of “stoma."

Strengthening cells, n. The cells with tough or hard walls that serve to give firmness and support to plant tissues.

Suction, n. L. sugere, to suck; the process of sucking. Sulphur, n. A solid substance found in the earth's crust in certain places; it is one of the constituents of protoplasm, and although occurring in it in very small quantities, it is essential. Sulphuric acid, n. Oil of vitriol, a combination of hydrogen, sulphur, and oxygen. Sulphuric acid is found in the earth and in the air in very small quantities, and is the source from which plants as a rule derive their sulphur.

GLOSSARY.

T.

Tertius, n. L. tertius, third; the name given in this book to a suppositional plant. Thoreau, n. Henry David Thoreau, an American author of the present century, wrote a number of delightful books on nature. Tissue, n. L. texere, to weave; a woven fabric; the cellular fabric of plant structures.

Tropæolum, n. From a Greek word meaning "a turning,” hence, a turning of the enemy, a defeat; finally, the sign of a defeat, a trophy; the name of a plant, so called because of the shieldshaped leaves, many shields together suggesting trophies taken from the enemy.

Tube cells, n. The cells that build up the tubes of plants. Tuber, n. L. tuber, a bump, swelling; a thickened portion of an underground stem. The potato is a tuber; it stores up starch for the use of the growing plant.

Tubular corolla, n. A tube-shaped corolla. The red honeysuckle has a tubular corolla.

Tunic, n. L. tunica, a tunic; the name of a garment worn by the Romans; a loose flowing robe; hence, any garment; a name given to the scaly coverings of bulbs like the onion and hyacinth. Tunicated, a. Having a tunic.

U.

Underground stems, n. Stems that grow beneath the surface of the earth and look more or less like roots. They can always be distinguished from roots by the presence of nodes. V.

Variegated, a. L. varius, various, agere, to make; marked with different colors.

Veins, n. L. vena, a blood vessel; the blood vessels or channels through which the blood flows to the heart; the stiff, thread-like tubes forming the framework of leaves, petals, sepals, etc. GLOSSARY.

Vine, n. L. vinea, a grape vine; a plant with a stem too long and flexible to stand alone.

W.

Water, n. A well-known liquid composed of two parts of hydrogen to one of oxygen.

Wax, n. A.-S. weax, wax; a thick, sticky substance made by bees for constructing their cells ; substances resembling beeswax in beeswax in consistency.

Whorl, n. A ring of organs from the same center.

Wood cells, n. The cells of which wood is built up.