|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
perennial
perennial any plant that under natural conditions lives for several to many growing seasons, as contrasted to an annual or a biennial . Botanically, the term perennial applies to both woody and herbaceous plants (see stem ) and thus includes numerous members of the kingdom. In horticulture, however, the term is usually restricted to hardy herbaceous perennials, particularly border plants such as alyssum, chrysanthemum, iris, peony, phlox, pink, and sedum, all of which characteristically die down to the ground each year and survive the winter on food stored in specialized underground stems (corms, rhizomes, and tubers in horticulture; bulbous plants are not considered perennials). Perennials form seeds each year after reaching maturity, but since plants grown from seeds do not normally bloom until the second season (unless forced), most garden perennials are propagated by dividing the rootstocks (see propagation of plants ). In fact, division every few years—as well as judicious pruning—is usually necessary to prevent the plant's becoming straggly and weak. Perennials, including the woody perennials, may have a rest period of some duration during their life cycle. In the plant different parts rest at different times and resume growth independently, e.g., the buds of deciduous plants, which form in late summer and remain dormant until spring. Even in tropical areas where plants appear to retain their leaves the year round, some plants lose all their leaves for a brief period and others grow new and drop old leaves on a continuing basis, as do most conifers.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"perennial." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "perennial." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-perennia.html "perennial." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-perennia.html |
|
perennial
per·en·ni·al / pəˈrenēəl/ • adj. lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring: his perennial distrust of the media. ∎ (of a plant) living for several years: tarragon is perennial.Compare with annual, biennial. ∎ (esp. of a problem or difficult situation) continually occurring: perennial manifestations of urban crisis. ∎ (of a person) apparently permanently engaged in a specified role or way of life: he's a perennial student. ∎ (of a stream or spring) flowing throughout the year. • n. a perennial plant. DERIVATIVES: per·en·ni·al·ly adv. |
|
|
Cite this article
"perennial." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "perennial." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-perennial.html "perennial." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-perennial.html |
|
perennial
perennial A plant that lives for a number of years. Woody perennials (trees and shrubs) have a permanent aerial form, which continues to grow year after year. Herbaceous (i.e. nonwoody) perennials have aerial shoots that die down each autumn and are replaced in spring by new shoots from an underground structure (see perennation). Lupin and rhubarb are examples of herbaceous perennials. Compare annual; biennial; ephemeral.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"perennial." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "perennial." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-perennial.html "perennial." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-perennial.html |
|
perennial
|
|
|
Cite this article
"perennial." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "perennial." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-perennial.html "perennial." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-perennial.html |
|
perennial
perennial A plant that normally lives for more than two seasons and which, after an initial period, produces flowers annually.
|
|
|
Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "perennial." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "perennial." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-perennial.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "perennial." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-perennial.html |
|
perennial
perennial A plant that normally lives for more than 2 seasons and, after an initial period, produces flowers annually.
|
|
|
Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "perennial." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "perennial." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-perennial.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "perennial." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-perennial.html |
|
perennial
|
|
|
Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "perennial." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "perennial." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-perennial.html T. F. HOAD. "perennial." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-perennial.html |
|
perennial
perennial •beau idéal, ideal, real, surreal
•labial • microbial • connubial
•adverbial, proverbial
•prandial • radial • medial • mondial
•cordial, exordial, primordial
•custodial, plasmodial
•preludial • collegial • vestigial
•monarchial • Ezekiel • bronchial
•parochial • pallial • Belial
•familial, filial
•proemial • binomial • Nathaniel
•bicentennial, biennial, centennial, decennial, millennial, perennial, Tenniel, triennial
•cranial
•congenial, genial, menial, venial
•finial, lineal, matrilineal, patrilineal
•corneal
•baronial, ceremonial, colonial, matrimonial, monial, neocolonial, patrimonial, testimonial
•participial • marsupial
•burial, Meriel
•terrestrial
•actuarial, adversarial, aerial, areal, bursarial, commissarial, filarial, malarial, notarial, secretarial, vicarial
•Gabriel
•atrial, patrial
•vitriol
•accessorial, accusatorial, advertorial, ambassadorial, arboreal, armorial, auditorial, authorial, boreal, censorial, combinatorial, consistorial, conspiratorial, corporeal, curatorial, dictatorial, directorial, editorial, equatorial, executorial, gladiatorial, gubernatorial, immemorial, imperatorial, janitorial, lavatorial, manorial, marmoreal, memorial, monitorial, natatorial, oratorial, oriel, pictorial, piscatorial, prefectorial, professorial, proprietorial, rectorial, reportorial, sartorial, scriptorial, sectorial, senatorial, territorial, tonsorial, tutorial, uxorial, vectorial, visitorial
•Umbriel • industrial
•arterial, bacterial, cereal, criterial, ethereal, ferial, funereal, immaterial, imperial, magisterial, managerial, material, ministerial, presbyterial, serial, sidereal, venereal
•mercurial, Muriel, seigneurial, tenurial, Uriel
•entrepreneurial
•axial, biaxial, coaxial, triaxial
•uncial • lacteal
•bestial, celestial
•gluteal
•convivial, trivial
•jovial, synovial
•alluvial, diluvial, fluvial, pluvial
•colloquial, ventriloquial
•gymnasial • ecclesial • ambrosial
|
|
|
Cite this article
"perennial." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "perennial." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-perennial.html "perennial." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-perennial.html |
|
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
