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.
Glossary of terms
A reference section with categories and short explanations.
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.