In case you’re wondering where Q went, there were no entries for it in the American Orchid Society’s glossary, so we skipped it! Though we did find this very extensive orchid glossary with a few Q’s – quadrangular, quadrate and quadrilateral. But here are orchid terms for the letters “R” and “S” from the AOS glossary, with some additional links for more in-depth explanations.
Raceme- An unbranched inflorescence of stalked flowers.
Rhizome- A root-bearing stem of sympodial orchids that progressively sends up leafy shoots.
Sheath- A modified leaf that encloses an emerging inflorescence or leaf.
Somaclonal Variation- Genetic variants arising from tissue culture.
Species- A kind of plant that is distinct from other plants.
Spike- An unbranched inflorescence of unstalked flowers.
Sympodial- Orchids which grow laterally and produce leafy growths along a rhizome.
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