Some specialized terms used to describe azaleas are defined here, along with many standard botanical and horticultural terms. To suggest changes and additional terms for this glossary, please contact the website committee.
acuminate (leaf tip) - concave sides tapering to a protracted acute point acute (leaf tip) - straight or slightly convex sides tapering to a point Akamuji (satsuki pattern) - solid red alternate - arranged singly at different heights and on different sides of a stem anther - the pollen-bearing part of the stamen, at top of the filament Arare (satsuki pattern) - many large specks scattered all over the petals, biggest of the particle color patterns arching (plant shape) - upright for a distance, then spreading outward and somewhat downward attenuate (leaf base) - wedge-shaped, concave sides tapering to the point of attachment azaleodendron - cross between an azalea and a rhododendron
bell (flower shape) - round base, parallel sides, flared edges blotch (color pattern) - a different color at the base of the top petal, sometimes extending to the upper side petals, commonly in the form of small dots which are different than the background color
calyx - the outer whorl of floral envelopes, composed of sepals chroma (color terminology) - saturation, from grayed to pure (vivid) contorted (leaf edge) - irregularly twisted cordate (leaf base) - heart-shaped, with a depression at the point of attachment cuneate (leaf base) - wedge-shaped, straight sides tapering to the point of attachment
Date (satsuki pattern) - white crowded with a mixture of deep and light different width stripes, some extending from the edge of the petals to the base while others do not deciduous - shedding all or almost all leaves each year dense (plant habit) - with branches and leaves crowded together Diasho (satsuki pattern) - mixture of thick stripes and thin stripes double (flower type) - with all stamens appearing as petals double h/h (flower type) - with all stamens and sepals appearing as petals downcurved (leaf edge) - with the edges curled downwards
eglandular - without glands (hairs end in points) elliptic (leaf shape) - oblong, widest at or near the middle and with narrower ends evergreen - with leaves that remain green and/or functional for more than one year
filament - threadlike organ that bears the anther in a stamen flat (flower shape) - petals with little or no curvature other than at the base Fukiage (satsuki pattern) - fine sprays and streaks of color in a feathery pattern from the center of the petal toward the edge Fukkake (satsuki pattern) - a fine spray of many specks originating at the edges, tending toward the center of the petal Fukurin (satsuki pattern) - white border funnel (flower shape) - tube gradually widening upward
glandular - with glands (glandular hairs appear as slender mushrooms, glandular bud scale margins appear as sharks teeth)
h/h - seehose-in-hose Hakeme (satsuki pattern) - many fine parallel stripes Hanzome (satsuki pattern) - half one color, half another Harusame (satsuki pattern) - many dots and very small lines all over the petals, dots bigger than Mijin and Fukkake. hose-in-hose (flower type) - with all sepals appearing as petals, usually rotated from the normal (inner) petals
inflorescence - the arrangement of flowers on the plant irregular (plant shape) - not straight, uniform or symmetrical
Janome (satsuki pattern) - Fukurin with Sokojiro, that is, a white border and a white throat Jiai (satsuki pattern) - pale base color with darker variation color
Kanoko (satsuki pattern) - a spotted pattern similar to the markings of a spotted deer skin, with marks bigger than Mijin Koshibori (satsuki pattern) - minor variation
lanceolate (leaf shape) - lance-shaped, several times longer than broad, widest below the middle toward the base, tapering with convex sides up to the tip leggy (plant habit) - with long, sometimes leafless, stems between branches linear (leaf, petal shape) - long and narrow, sides parallel or nearly so Mijin (satsuki pattern) - clouds of countless extremely small particles of color all over the petals
normal (petal arrangement) - petals fused at the base, not overlapping
oblanceolate (leaf shape) - lance-shaped, several times longer than broad, widest above the middle toward the tip, tapering with convex sides up to the tip oblong (leaf shape) - longer than wide, with parallel sides, or nearly so, for most of the length oblique (leaf base) - slanting, with unequal sides obovate (leaf shape) - egg-shaped, rounded at both ends and widest above the middle, toward the tip obtuse (leaf tip, base) - blunt, rounded open (plant habit) - normally spaced branching, between leggy and dense orbicular (leaf shape) - round, or nearly so Oshibori (satsuki pattern) - major variation Otamafu (satsuki pattern) - a lighter smudge of color in the center of the petals, larger than Shirotamafu ovate (leaf shape) - egg-shaped, rounded at both ends and widest below the middle, toward the base
petiole - the stalk connecting the stem to a flower or leaf pointed (petal shape) - tips of petals taper to points profuse (flowered) - completely covered with blooms prostrate (plant shape) - lying flat on the ground, or nearly so recurved (flower shape) - petals curved backward toward the base
Sarashi (satsuki pattern) - many fine parallel stripes interspersed with a few thicker stripes saucer (flower shape) - petals flat with a slight upward curve self (flower color) - a single solid color self (propagation) - a plant crossed back onto itself semi-double h/h (flower type) - with some stamens appearing as petals Shibori sokojiro (satsuki pattern) - part variation and part white throat Shiro (satsuki pattern) - white pattern on the base color of red or purple Shiromuji (satsuki pattern) - solid white Shirotamafu (satsuki pattern) - a lighter smudge of color in the center of the petals single (flower type) - five or more petals usually fused at the base, with a calyx of five or more sepals usually fused at the base, and five or more stamens and one pistil Sokijiro (satsuki pattern) - white throat sparse (flowered) - not many flowers spider (flower type) - petals are not fused to form a tube, but are rather separate, narrow and strap-like spreading (plant shape) - much wider than high, primarily horizontal branching stigma - the tip of the pistil, which receives the pollen style - the stem of the pistil, extending from the ovary to the stigma
Tate (satsuki pattern) - clear stripe that starts at the edge of the petal and goes to the base Tobiiri (satsuki pattern) - irregular placing of lines smaller than those of Koshibori truss - the arrangement of the flowers on the stem Tsumabeni (satsuki pattern) - red or purple petal tips Tsumajiro (satsuki pattern) - white petal tips tubular (flower shape) - narrow tube with parallel sides, or nearly so, with an outward flare of petals at the end twisted (leaf edge) - contorted, as by winding or twisting
upcurved (leaf edge) - with the edges curled upward upright (plant shape) - major branches and overall appearance straight
value - color lightness, from black to white
wavy (leaf edge) - surface goes up and down rather than being flat weeping (plant shape) - upright for a distance, then extending outward and downward whorl - a circle of three or more leaves at one node
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