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Native Plant Trust: Go Botany Discover thousands of New England plants

Glossary: M

maculate maculate
Spotted or splotched.
mamilla mamilla
A nipple-shaped projection.
marcescent marcescent
Withering but persistent and not falling.
margin margin
Edge.
marginal marginal
Pertaining to the edge of a structure.
megaspore megaspore
In species that produce two kinds of spore (e.g., Isoetes, Selaginella, Azolla, Marsilea), the larger spore that gives rise to the "female", egg-producing gametophyte.
membranaceous membranaceous
Thin, flexible, almost translucent; like a membrane or film.
mericarp mericarp
A single-carpellate section of a schizocarp.
merous
Having a specified number or multiple of parts.
mesic
Moist (as in a habitat).
mesifixed mesifixed
Attached at or toward the middle, as in the area where a petiole or hairs meet the leaf blade.
microspore
In species that produce two kinds of spore (e.g., Isoetes, Selaginella, Azolla, Marsilea), the smaller spore that gives rise to the "male", sperm-producing gametophyte.
midrib midrib
The main vessel of a leaf, the continuation of the petiole; midvein.
midvein midvein
The biggest vein that runs down the middle of the leaf blade; midrib.
monadelphous monadelphous
With all of the filaments of the stamens joined into a single group.
moniliform moniliform
Like a string of beads.
monilophyte
A group of primitive tracheophytes marked by free-sporing habit, megaphylls, and multiflagellate sperm, in New England usually also marked by leptosporangiate condition; ferns (compare with lycophyte).
monocarpic
Flowering only once before dying.
monochasial cyme monochasial cyme
An inflorescence comprised of one or more repeating units of a pair of flowers: a terminal flower and a single lateral flower that usually overtops the terminal flower.
monochlamydeous monochlamydeous
Perianth comprised of 1 series of parts, as in a single whorl of sepals or petals.
monocot monocot
A flowering plant with embryos that produce only one seed leaf (compare "dicotyledon" or "dicot"); monocotyledon.
monoecious
A plant that bears some flowers with pollen-bearing organs (stamens) and separate flowers with ovule-bearing organs (carpels).
monomorphic
Having only one form.
mouth mouth
Where a tubular structure such as a flower opens up into lateral lobes.
mucilage
A slimy or snot-like excretion, rich in heavy starches.
mucro mucro
A short, abrupt projecting tip.
mucronate mucronate
Ending abruptly in a short, stiff point.
muricate muricate
With small, pointed projections.