DNA replication
Cactus grower terms
(From Latin replicatio - repetition) - the process of self-replication of macromolecules of nucleic acids before cell division, ensuring the accurate copying of genetic information.
Glossary of terms
A reference section with categories and short explanations.
Dead parts remaining on the root
Cactus grower terms
Dead parts remaining on the plant's root.
Derived seeds
Cactus grower terms
Seeds obtained outside the plant's native range.
Diagnosis of a taxon
Cactus grower terms
Description of the distinguishing morphological, physiological, or cultivation-related characteristics of plants of various ranks (genus, species, variety, etc.). It is first provided by the author in Latin, with the accepted abbreviation …
Dichotomous branching
Cactus grower terms
A relatively rare phenomenon in cacti in which the main axis at the stem tip divides into two, usually equally developed axes, forming paired stems each with its own growing point.
Dichotomy
Cactus grower terms
Tendency toward dichotomous branching.
Dimorphic
Cactus grower terms
(From Greek di - double and morphe - species, form) - species and populations having two morphs.
Dioecious plants
Cactus grower terms
Plants having male (with stamens) and female (with pistils) flowers on separate individuals.
Distribution area
Cactus grower terms
(Distribution area) (from Latin area - area, space) - part of the Earth's territory within which a given taxon (species, genus, family...) is distributed and completes its full life cycle. May be continuous or fragmented.
Dominant
Cactus grower terms
(From Latin dominantis - dominant) a species that is quantitatively predominant in a given community.
Dormant
Cactus grower terms
(Dormant state) (from English dormant - inactive, sleeping) - being in a state of rest or hibernation.
Dormant buds
Cactus grower terms
Formed in autumn but developing in spring.
Drainage
Cactus grower terms
The bottom layer in plant pots consisting of small stones, sand, crushed brick, clay shards, expanded clay (LECA), coarse gravel and other materials to prevent waterlogging in the lower layers of the root ball and to increase aeration of t…
Ecological niche
Cactus grower terms
The physical space with its characteristic ecological conditions that determine the existence of an organism; the place of a species in nature.
Ecotope
Cactus grower terms
(From Greek oikos - dwelling, habitat, and topos - place) the aggregate of abiotic environmental conditions of a given site that constitutes the habitat for a particular plant community.
Ecotype
Cactus grower terms
Genetically fixed, ecologically formed race (group of individuals of a single species).
Edatop
Cactus grower terms
The set of soil characteristics of a given environment.
Elite plants
Cactus grower terms
The best representatives of a genus or species, selected from collections as source material for their further propagation.
Endemic
Cactus grower terms
(From Greek endemos - local) - a taxon (species, genus, family...) restricted in its distribution to a particular territory and not found anywhere else in the wild.
Endosperm
Cactus grower terms
(From Greek endon - inside and sperma - seed) - nutritive tissue that develops in the seed. In cacti it is absorbed by the embryo already at an early stage of development and in the seed is residually represented only by a thin film (not t…
Enzymatic treatment
Cactus grower terms
Treatment of seeds with biological catalysts — enzymes, accelerating seed germination. Simulates the passage of seeds through the digestive tract of animals.
Enzymes [enzymes, biocatalysts]
Cactus grower terms
(From Latin fermentum - fermentation, leaven) specific proteins present in all living cells and playing the role of biological catalysts.
Ephemerals
Cactus grower terms
Annual plants with a short, usually spring, period of development.
Epicotyl
Cactus grower terms
Stem segment above the cotyledons (shoot).
Epidermis, epiderma
Cactus grower terms
(From Greek epi - on, above, over, and derma - skin) - the outermost, primary in origin covering (protective) tissue of leaves and stems, i.e., the plant's skin, almost always consisting of a layer of tightly packed cells, some of which fo…
Epiphytes (Epiphytic cacti)
Cactus grower terms
Cacti and plants in general that often grow on trees and other plants, but, unlike parasites, use their hosts only as a substrate for attachment and do not feed at their expense.
Erect stem
Cactus grower terms
Standing perpendicular to the substrate.
Erosion
Cactus grower terms
The destruction of rocks and soil, with the transfer of particles from one place to another under the influence of winds, heavy precipitation, and catastrophic events (earthquakes, eruptions, etc.).
Etiolated growth
Cactus grower terms
Growth produced in darkness.
Etiolation of plants
Cactus grower terms
An abnormal growth of the stem, its elongation, change in coloration, and cessation of flowering, associated with keeping the plant in unsuitable conditions, primarily due to insufficient light levels.
Evolution
Cactus grower terms
Irreversible development of plants in the historical aspect of their origin and subsequent life processes, accompanied by the formation and modification of the genetic composition of populations and their adaptation to the environment in t…
Exotics
Cactus grower terms
Plants cultivated or introduced by humans into areas where they did not occur naturally.
Family
Cactus grower terms
A taxonomic category that groups related genera that have a common origin.
Fasciation
Cactus grower terms
An abnormal alteration of the natural form of stems and, less frequently, flowers, leading to the appearance of cristate (crested) sections or of the entire plant. The causes of this phenomenon are not sufficiently studied.
Felted pubescence
Cactus grower terms
Dense, matted hairs.
Fertility
Cactus grower terms
The ability of a mature organism to produce viable offspring, i.e., to set fruits with seeds that germinate after ripening.
Flavonoids
Cactus grower terms
Phenolic compounds present in higher plants, including pigments that give color to various plant organs (red, yellow, blue, etc.).
Flora
Cactus grower terms
An evolutionarily and historically formed assemblage of plant species inhabiting a particular territory, or a list of plant species occurring in a given territory.
Floral calyx
Cactus grower terms
The outer covering of a flower with a double perianth, consisting of sepals, which may be free or fused together, green or brightly colored.
Floral meristem
Cactus grower terms
This is the meristem from which flowers and inflorescences develop. It represents a modified apical meristem (during the transition to the reproductive stage). Shallow depth and a rather marked expansion in width are common histological fe…