#plant physiology

• abscission — (Botany) The natural physiological process of separation and shedding of leaves, flowers, or ripe fruits, due to the formation of a special layer of loosely cemented cells at the base of the petiole.
• Fruitless — Lacking fruit, unfruitful, or exhibiting a biological inability to produce fruit. In applied botany, the term characterizes plants, trees, or crops that, due to genetic anomalies, unfavorable climatic conditions, or pathogen attacks, fail to complete their reproductive cycle through the formation and maturation of fruits.
• Acarpotropic — Not altering orientation, position, or movement in response to the presence, weight, or development of fruits; lacking carpotropism. The term specifically describes floral peduncles or branches of certain plants that remain rigid, erect, or unchanged after pollination, in contrast to carpotropic organs that bend toward the ground (geocarpy) or shift position to facilitate seed dispersal.
• Acarpotropic — A rare neologistic adjectival form used synonymously with 'acarpotropic'; characterized by the absence of movements, bendings, or orientations induced by the development and weight of fruits. It describes the physiological behavior of those stems, axes, or floral peduncles that maintain their rigid structure and unchanged vertical position throughout the entire post-fertilization stage, exhibiting no carpotropic reaction.
• Acropetal — Developing, moving, evolving, or propagating from the base toward the apex (ascendingly), in the direction of the upper extremity of an organ or structural organism. In botany, the term describes an inflorescence with acropetal succession (where the oldest flowers are located at the base and the youngest ones or buds gradually open toward the apex) or the transport of sap and regulatory substances through plant vascular tissues.
• Acrotropism — A phenomenon of orientation, bending, or tropistic movement of plant organs (shoots, roots, stalks) directed strictly toward a point of prominence, a superior extremity, or an anatomical apex determined by an external stimulus (light, mechanical contact). This structural reaction guides the elongation direction of meristematic tissues, ensuring optimal spatial adaptation of the foliar or root apparatus in relation to surrounding environmental resources.
• Aerocarpotropic — Relating to aerocarpotropism or exhibiting an orientation movement of fruits directly influenced by the presence of air or atmospheric currents. It describes the tropic behavior of certain plant organs that alter their position in the airspace to optimize ripening or subsequent seed dispersal.
• Aerotropic — Relating to aerotropism; exhibiting an orientation movement or a directed growth reaction of plant vegetative organs (roots, stems) under the direct influence of atmospheric air or local oxygen concentration. The term describes the biological properties of plant tissues reacting structurally to the presence of various gases in the surrounding environment.
• Aerotropism — A specific form of tropism or oriented growth movement of plant vegetative organs, such as roots or mycelial filaments, determined by the presence of air or the variation of oxygen concentration in the surrounding environment. This structural phenomenon allows plants to guide their roots toward well-aerated soil layers or to develop respiratory structures above water.
• Amphitrophy — A form of unequal growth or development of plant organs, particularly laterally oriented leaves or branches, determined by asymmetric nutrition or the combined action of light and gravity on both sides of the supporting axis. This structural physiological process directly influences the symmetry and spatial arrangement of the canopy.
• Amyliferous — Producing, containing, or generating significant amounts of starch; rich in amylaceous substances. It is used especially to describe plants, plant organs (such as potato tubers or cereal grains), or specialized cells that have the capacity to synthesize and store starch as a reserve substance. In an industrial context, it describes agricultural crops intended for processing in starch factories.
• Amylogenesis — The biochemical process of formation and biosynthesis of starch within plant cells. Amylogenesis takes place inside the amyloplasts through the successive polymerization of glucose molecules, being an essential structural metabolic stage for storing energy derived from photosynthesis.
• Amylogeny — The biological function, property, or process of generating and accumulating starch in plant tissues; the study of how starch granules originate at the cellular level. It represents a conceptual synonym for amylogenesis, emphasizing the structural physiological property of the plant organism to store complex carbohydrates.
• Amyloplastic — Pertaining to amyloplasts or relating to them; concerning the activity of forming and storing starch within specialized plant cell organelles. It is used to describe metabolic processes, membrane structures, or cytoplasmic changes correlated with the physiology of these specialized plastids.
• Anacharis — A Latinized form or adapted spelling variant of the botanical genus Anacharis (currently classified as Elodea), grouping higher, perennial, and completely submerged aquatic plants. Characterized by long, fragile stems and whorled leaves, this structural organism is recognized for its exceptional photosynthetic capacity and adaptability, frequently used in laboratory experiments to study plant physiology and in aquaristics.
• Anaerophyte — A plant or lower vegetable organism that has the structural capacity to live, develop, or carry out its metabolic processes in environments completely devoid of free oxygen or with an extremely low concentration of it. This adaptive phenomenon is encountered in certain species of fungi, algae, or plant bacteria that inhabit flooded soils, deep muds, or sealed organic chambers, where respiration occurs through fermentative pathways.
• Androdynamy — A biological phenomenon or trait of certain hermaphroditic flowers characterized by having stamens that are more developed, structurally more vigorous, or more functionally active than the gynoecium (the female reproductive organ). This morphological feature ensures optimal reproductive dynamics, playing a structural role in evolutionary mechanisms that prevent self-fertilization.
• Andromonoecy — A morphological trait and plant reproductive system where the same individual structurally bears both hermaphroditic (bisexual) flowers and exclusively male (staminate) flowers. This reproductive strategy is studied in evolutionary ecology because it structurally controls energy resource allocation between male and female functions.
• Andropetaly — A biological phenomenon or morphological (teratological) anomaly characterized by the regressive transformation of stamens into petals or petaloid structures. This structural feature is the basis for obtaining double flowers (such as horticultural peonies, carnations, or roses).
• Andropleogamy — A polymorphic reproductive system or highly rare ecological strategy in plants where populations exhibit an extreme structural diversity of male, hermaphroditic, and polygamous individuals co-existing within the same habitat to ensure an optimal pollen flow and maximum genetic adaptability.