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Term	Definition
Egg	The female reproductive part of a plant. In the flowering plants (angiosperms), the egg is located at the micropylar end of the megagameophyte flanked on each side by a synergid cell. After fertilization the ege develops into the embryo and the embryo develops into the adult plant.
Elaiosome	A fleshy, oily outgrowth of the seed coat that often attracts ants for dispersing the seeds. Compare with aril and sarcotesta.
Elaiosome	A fleshy, oily outgrowth of the seed coat that is eaten by ants. In the process, the ants often disperse the seeds away from the mother plant.
Electronic key	An electronic key takes advantage of a database to facilitate the identification of an unknown plant to family, genus, or species. Electronic keys generally consist of four boxes as follows: (1) characters and character states upper left hand box), (2) taxa included in the keys, e.g., all of the genera, species, and infraspecific taxa in a plant family or all of the taxa in a Flora (upper right hand box). As choices are made species that do not have given characters are eliminated and appear in the lower right hand box, 3) all of the characters and character states that have been used while progressing through the key (lower left hand box), and 4) all of the taxa that have been rejected as a possible determination (lower right hand box). The advantages of electronic keys are 1) the key can entered no matter what characters are present in the plant being identified, 2) links can be made to electronic glossarys so the meaning of the characters can be understood by consulting their definations and seeing illustrations of them, 3) links can be made to family, generic, and species pages to confirm or reject determinatiions, and 4) a determination is always reached which ideally is a single taxon but if more than one taxon, the possibilities can be accepted or rejected based on viewing the taxon pages.
Elliptic	Referring to the outline of essentially two-dimensional structures, such as leaves, bracts, petals, and sepals, which are widest at or near the middle. Elliptic shapes are divided based on their length/width ratios. An elliptic shape has a length to width ration from 2:1 to less than 3:1.
Emarginate	Markedly notched, such as the apex of a leaf or other structure.
Embryo	The young sporophytic plant found inside of the seed.
Embryo	A young seed plant found within the seed, a dicotyledon embryo consists of the hypocotyle, cotyledons (usually two), and the epicotyl.
Embryo air chamber	Referring to an embryo with a chamber inside of the seed caused by bowed cotyledons.
Embryo macropodial (= cotyledons absent)	Massive embryo that shows no obvious cotyledons. Cotyledons absent is the preferred term.
Embryo sac	The female gametophyte of angiosperms (flowering plants). Same as megagametophyte.
Emergent tree	A species of tree in which adult individuals exceed the more or less continuous canopy layer of a forest.
Emergent tree layer	A hypotherical layer in tropical forests made up of species of the tallest trees with crown emerging above the canopy tree layer.
Empheral	A temperate zone plant that sends out leaves and photosynthesizes in the spring before the leaves of the trees appear. During this time the plant produces and stores enough carbohydrate to allow it to flower the following spring. Not long after flowering, the plant wilts and remains inconspicuous until the next spring.
Enclosed bud	A bud that is either completed surrounded by the calyx or that has a pore-like or slit-like opening at early developmental stages.
Endemic	Native to and restricted to a given geographic region or to a given soil type or other habitat.
Endocarp	The innermost layer of the fruit wall. Compare with pericarp.
Endocarp buttress	A raised, somewhat rounded ridge running the length of the endocarp in the fruits of species of Grias.
Endosperm	The energy-rich food supply of the seed that is formed by the fusion of the sperm and polar nuclei of the female gametophyte, initially surrounds the embryo, and is often apparent in the seed; some seeds, however, do not have any apparent endosperm.
Endosperm	The energy-rich food supply of the seed that is formed by the fusion of the sperm and polar nuclei of the female gametophyte, initially surrounds the embryo, and is often apparent in the seed; some seeds, however, do not have any apparent endosperm.
Entire	Referring to a margin of a leaf, sepal, or petal that is not interrupted by teeth or lobes.
Eophyll	The first true leaf of a seedling; i.e., the first leaf to appear after the cotyledon(s).
Eophyll	The first leaves of a seedling, other than cotyledons, which may or may not be similar to adult leaves in form and position.
Ephemeral	Lasting a short time; for example, a spring emphemeral in temperate regions that flowers and sets fruits before the canopy trees leaf out or a tree such as species of Tabebuia that flower for only a few days, thus the flowers are ephemeral. Same as evanescent.
Epicalyx	A whorl of bracts on the pedicel, similar to sepals, and inserted below the calyx; most commonly found in species of Malvaceae..
Epicotyl	That part of the main axis of an embryo or the young stem of a seedling located above the point of attachment of the cotyledons. The epicotyl gives rise to the leaves, the first of which are called eophylls.
Epicotyl	That part of the main axis of an embryo or the young stem of a seedling located above the point of attachment of the cotyledons. The epicotyl gives rise to the leaves, the first of which are called eophylls.
Epidermal cells	Referring to the outermost cells of the adaxial and abaxial leaf blade surfaces which are covered by cuticle. Subsidiary cells surround the stomates and are distinguished from normal epidermal cells in their size, shape, or orientation. A stomatal type in which the cells surrounding the guard cells are not differentiated from the epidermal cells is called the anomocytic type.
Epidermal cells	Referring to the outermost cells of the adaxial and abaxial leaf blade surfaces which are covered by cuticle. Subsidiary cells surround the stomates and are distinguished from normal epidermal cells in their size, shape, or orientation. A stomatal type in which the cells surrounding the guard cells are not differentiated from the epidermal cells is called the anomocytic type.
Epigeal germination	Referring to a type of seed germination in which the cotyledons are held at or above the ground. Compare with hypogeal.
Epigynous ovary	Referring to a flower in which all or some of the floral parts (i.e., the sepals, petals, and stamens) arise from the summit of the ovary; e.g., species of Asteraceae and Rubiaceae.
Epilithic	Growing on rocks. Same as epipetric.
Epipetric	Growing on rocks. Same as epilithic
Epiphyllous inflorescence	Inflorescences from the adaxial surfaces of the petiole (e.g., Dichapetalaceae) or the blade (e.g., Phllonomaceae).
Epiphyte	Referring to a plant that grows on another plant for its entire life cycle. An epiphyte often possesses aerial roots, uses the host plant only for support, and does not obtain food or water from the host, e.g., Tillandsia and many other bromeliads, the majority of the species of Araceae in tropical forests, and most of the orchids in tropical forests.
Epizoochorous	A type of seed dispersal in which the diaspore sticks to the skin, feathers, or fur of animals by barbs, hooks, or a viscid glue-like substance. Those that stick to dispersal agents by barbs or hooks are also called sticktights.
Equitant	Usually applied to distichous leaves with overlapping leaf blades that are flattened stem axis axis; often appearing fan-shaped; e.g.; in many Iridaceae and some Orchidaceae.
Erose (diminutive = erosulose)	Referring to margins that are jagged, i.e., uneven but not with well-defined teeth.
Espádice	Una espiga densa, que posee abundantes y muy pequeñas flores sésiles y que está subtendida o rodeada por una espata; por ejemplo, las inflorescencias de las Araceae
Espiga	Una inflorescencia indeterminada, de eje simple, no ramificada, que porta flores sésiles y cuyas flores más jovenes están hacia la porción distal. Comparar con racimo
Espina	Proyección angosta o linear, puntiaguda y leñosa, que posee tejido vascular. Comparar con aguijón, acúleo
Estaminodio	Un estambre estéril, ese a veces está modificado de manera que no parece un estambre; por ejemplo, en las Cannaceae
Estrangulador	Planta leñosa que crece sobre otra desarrollando sus raíces de manera que rodea al hospedero hasta eventualmente matarlo; por ejemplo, algunas especies de Ficus (Moraceae). Después de que el hospedero muere, un estrangulador usualmente llegar a ser como un árbol común
Eugenioid embryo	A type of embryo found in the Myrtaceae in which the cotyledons are thick, separate, and plano-convex (like those of a bean) and the hypocotyl is a short protrusion, or the cotyledons are fused partially or completely into a single mass and the hypocotyl is not distinguishable. Compare with myrcioid embryo and myrtoid embryo.
Evanescent	Short-lived.
Even-pinnate leaf	Pinnately compound leaf with an even number of leaflets; i.e., without a terminal leaflet. Same as parapinnate.
Evergreen	Bearing viable leaves at all times of the year. Opposite of deciduous.
Ex-	A prefix meaning lacking (e.g., exstipulate), outside of (e.g., exocarp), or away from (e.g., exmedial).
Excurrent secondary vein	Referring to a secondary vein that goes directly into the midrib without turning either basally or distally along the midrib.
Exfoliate	Referring to layers that peel off another structure, for example bark that peels off a tree trunk.

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