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Deciduous

Not persisting, falling away in less than one year.

Decumbent

Curved upward from a horizontal or inclined base, e.g. stems.

Deflexed

Turned downward abruptly.

Deltoid

Triangular in outline; shaped like the Greek letter delta.

Dense

Inflorescences having crowded spikelets.

Depauperate

Stunted.

Dermal

Having to do with the epidermis.

Dichotomous Key

A tool used in the identification of unknown plants by stating the conspicuous features by which the various taxa can be recognized. Two contrasting choices are presented at each step. One choice in the couplet is accepted and the other rejected, weaving a path to the indentity of the plant.

Diffuse

Open and much branched, widely spread.

Digitate

Parts (three or more) arising from the summit of a structure (e.g., branches of the Chloris inflorescence).

Dilated

Expanded, enlarged, or wider.

Dioecious

Unisexual, the staminate and pistillate flowers being on separate plants.

Diploid

Having two complements or sets of haploid chromosomes.

Disarticulate (disarticulation)

Separating at the nodes (joints) naturally at maturity.

Discoid

Resembling a disk or platter.

Distichous

Obviously 2-ranked and appearing as the rungs of a ladder.

Divergent

Extending away from each other by degrees.

Dorsal

Relating to the back of an organ, away from the axis; abaxial surface.