Dictionary of fundamental terms and expressions
For beginners, navigating the world of experts can feel a bit overwhelming. Many terms are used that you might not fully understand. For this reason, I have attempted to compile fundamental slang and more technical words to help you better orient yourself in this field. Let me know if you’d like me to clarify any specific terms!
Technical terms
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Epiphytic Substrate: Substrate for plants that grow on other plants, typically trees. Examples include orchids and carnivorous plants like Nepenthes (pitcher plants).
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Hibernaculum: A winter bud composed of condensed leaf embryos, used by plants like sundews and butterworts from temperate regions to survive the winter.
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Hybrid: Offspring resulting from the crossing of two plant species.
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Insecticide: A substance used to eliminate insects.
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Sphagnum Moss: A type of moss primarily found in peatlands, used as a surface layer, a mix in epiphytic substrates, or even as a substrate. Not recommended directly.
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Stratification: The process of seed maturation. Many carnivorous plant seeds require stratification for optimal germination, often cold for temperate species and sometimes warm for others.
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Tentacles: Glandular extensions found on the leaves of certain carnivorous plants. These secrete sticky mucus droplets used to catch insects.
Abbreviations
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aff. – Stands for affinis, meaning „close to“ or „related to“ (e.g., Drosera aff. fulva—a plant similar to Drosera fulva, but not the same species).
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f. – Stands for forma, indicating the smallest taxonomic unit, an environmental variation (e.g., Drosera capillaris f. tenella—a particular form of Drosera capillaris).
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RVV – Relative Humidity.
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sp. – Stands for species, representing an unidentified or unspecified species (e.g., Drosera sp.—a species within the Drosera genus).
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spp. – Plural form of sp. Refers to all species in a genus (e.g., Drosera spp.—all species within the Drosera genus).
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subsp./ssp. – Stands for subspecies, referring to a subordinate category of a species (e.g., Drosera barbigera subsp. silvicola—a subspecies of Drosera barbigera).
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var. – Stands for varietas, meaning „variety“ or „strain,“ genetically determined (e.g., Drosera binata var. dichotoma—a variety of Drosera binata).