| plantership | The occupation or position of a planter, or the management of a plantation, as in the United States or the West Indies. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| planticle | A young plant, or plant in embryo. Origin: Dim. Of Plant. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| plantigrada | <zoology> A subdivision of Carnivora having plantigrade feet. It includes the bears, raccoons, and allied species. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| plantigrade | <zoology> Walking on the sole of the foot; pertaining to the plantigrades. Having the foot so formed that the heel touches the ground when the leg is upright. Origin: L. Planta sole of the foot + gradi to walk: cf. F. Plantigrade. <zoology> A plantigrade animal, or one that walks or steps on the sole of the foot, as man, and the bears. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| planting | 1. The act or operation of setting in the ground for propagation, as seeds, trees, shrubs, etc.; the forming of plantations, as of trees; the carrying on of plantations, as of sugar, coffee, etc. 2. That which is planted; a plantation. "Trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord." (Isa. Lxi. 3) 3. The laying of the first courses of stone in a foundation. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| plantless | Without plants; barren of vegetation. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| plantlet | A little plant. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| plantocracy | Government by planters; planters, collectively. Origin: Planter + -cracy, as in democracy. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| plants | Multicellular, eukaryotic life forms of the kingdom plantae. They are characterised by a mainly photosynthetic mode of nutrition; essentially unlimited growth at localised regions of cell divisions (meristems); cellulose within cells providing rigidity; the absence of organs of locomotion; absense of nervous and sensory systems; and an alteration of haploid and diploid generations. (12 Dec 1998) |
| plants, edible | An organism of the vegetable kingdom suitable by nature for use as a food, especially by human beings. Not all parts of any given plant are edible but all parts of edible plants have been known to figure as raw or cooked food: leaves, roots, tubers, stems, seeds, buds, fruits, and flowers. The most commonly edible parts of plants are fruit, usually sweet, fleshy, and succulent. Most edible plants are commonly cultivated for their nutritional value and are referred to as vegetables. (12 Dec 1998) |
| plants, medicinal | Plants whose roots, leaves, seeds, bark, or other constituent possess therapeutic, tonic, purgative, or other pharmacologic activity when administered to higher animals. (12 Dec 1998) |
| plants, toxic | Plants or plant parts which are harmful to man or other animals. (12 Dec 1998) |
| plants, transgenic | Plants into which genetic material from another species has been transferred. The technique most frequently applied makes use of a natural plant-directed gene vector, the gram-negative soil bacterium agrobacterium tumefaciens. A second system more analogous to those used for transforming mammalian cell lines is the direct transfer of DNA into plant protoplasts, for example by electroporation or polyethylene glycol treatment. (12 Dec 1998) |
| plantule | <botany> The embryo which has begun its development in the act of germination. Origin: F, dim. Of plante a plant, L. Planta. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| planula | Origin: L, a little plane. 1. <biology> In embryonic development, a vesicle filled with fluid, formed from the morula by the divergence of its cells in such a manner as to give rise to a central space, around which the cells arrange themselves as an envelope; an embryonic form intermediate between the morula and gastrula. Sometimes used as synonymous with gastrula. 2. <zoology> The very young, free-swimming larva of the coelenterates. It usually has a flattened oval or oblong form, and is entirely covered with cilia. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |