Website Glossary

 

‘A‘ā : (Pronounced “ah-ah”) is a Hawaiian term for lava flows that have a rough, rubbly surface composed of broken lava blocks called clinkers.

Alien Species: Species growing in Hawaii that were not present on any of the islands before arrival of humans.

Angiostrongyliasis:  The human disease caused by infections of the parasitic worm Angiostrongylus cantonensis.  Synonymous with rat lungworm disease.

Allelopathy: A biological phenomenon by which an organism produces one or more biochemicals that influence the germination, growth, survival, and reproduction of other organisms.  In plants, this usually refers to the suppression of growth of one plant of the same or a different species by another due to the release of toxic substances.

Antineoplastic:  Preventing, inhibiting or halting the growth or spread of neoplasms (tumors) and malignant cells.

APHIS:  Acronym for USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Appendix I (CITES):  A listing of species regulated by CITES that are threatened with extinction.  Trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances.

Appendix II (CITES):  A listing of species regulated by CITES that are not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival.

Appendix III (CITES):  A listing of species regulated by CITES  included at the request of a Party that already regulates trade in the species and that needs the cooperation of other countries to prevent unsustainable or illegal exploitation (see Article II, paragraph 3, of the Convention). International trade in specimens of species listed in this Appendix is allowed only on presentation of the appropriate permits or certificates. (See Article V of the Convention).

Asclepiad:  A plant belonging to the subfamily Asclepiadoideae of the family Apocynaceae.

Ash (Volcanic): Fine fragments (less than 2-4 mm in diameter) of volcanic rock formed by a volcanic explosion or ejection from a volcanic vent.

Basalt:  Volcanic rock (lava) that characteristically is dark in color (gray to black), contains 45 to 53 percent silica, and is rich in iron and magnesium.  It is the most common rock in the earth’s crust.

Big Island Invasive Species Committee:  A project of the University of Hawaii Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit.  It is a voluntary partnership of government, private and non-profit organizations, and concerned individuals working to address invasive species issues on the island of Hawaii.

BIISC:  Acronym for Big Island Invasive Species Committee.

Biopesticides:  A contraction of the words “biological pesticides”.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines biopesticides as certain types of pesticides derived from such natural materials as animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals. For example, canola oil and baking soda have pesticidal applications and are considered biopesticides.  In our usage on this website we include only pesticides derived from living things.

Branches:  In our discussions of Hoodia morphology, this term refers to vegetative appendages (side shoots) growing off a vertical shoot.

Breakbone Fever:  Synonymous with dengue (see this).

Burrowing Nematode: Common name for Radopholus similis (see this).

Canoe Plant:  A plant brought to the Hawaiian Islands by the early settlers from Polynesia.

Capsule:  A dry dehiscent fruit containing multiple walled structures (carpels).  At maturity the fruit splits apart (dehisces) releasing the seeds within.

Caudiciform Plants:  A morphologic grouping of many unrelated plants, all having an enlarged trunk or succulent roots, referred to by botanists as a caudex.  The term is synonymous with pachycaul.

CB: Acronym for Christmasberry or Christmas berry (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi).

CBB: Acronym for coffee berry borer.

CDFA: Acronym for California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Certified Nursery:  A nursery that meets the requirements of a state or other jurisdiction to grow, sell or distribute nursery stock.  These requirements are usually relate to control of plant pests and diseases.  In Hawaii, certification requirements primarily relate to maintaining nematode-free stock, and compliance with related quarantines, inspections and requirements for shipments of nursery stock into other states, such as California.

CGAPS: Acronym for Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species.

Certified Naturally Grown:  An U.S. based farm assurance program certifying produce, apiaries and livestock for organic producers who sell locally and directly to their customers.

Certified Organic:  In the United States, a term for products that have a minimum of 95% organic ingredients and no disallowed ingredients.

Chikungunya Fever: A viral disease transmitted by the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes to humans.  Symptoms usually include fever and severe joint pain. Other symptoms may include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash. Joint pain is often debilitating and can vary in its duration.

CHIKV: Acronym for chikungunya virus.

Cinders (Volcanic):  Synonymous with scoria (See this).

CITES:  Acronym for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

CNG: Acronym for Certified Naturally Grown

Coffee Berry Borer: A scolytid beetle (Hypothenemus hampei) that is the most serious pest of coffee in Hawaii and other growing areas.

Coffee Canker:  A disease of coffee trees primarily caused by the fungus Ceratocytis fimbriata.  Synonymous with coffee trunk canker.

Coma: A cluster of fine, transparent hairs attached to a seed.

Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species: A voluntary partnership of federal and state agencies and non-governmental organizations whose goal is to protect Hawaiʻi from invasive species that impact the economy, environment, agriculture, and public health.

Corolla: All of the petals of a flower.

Critically Endangered Species:  A species categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

Cultivar:  A shortened term for “cultivated variety”.  Cultivars are assembled varieties of plants selected for desirable characteristics that are maintained during propagation.

Cytokinin: A class of plant growth substances (phytohormones) that promote cell division, or cytokinesis, in plant roots and shoots.

Dengue: An acute infectious disease of humans caused by a flavivirus that is transmitted by the bite of infected Aedes mosquitos.  The disease causes fever, rash and pains in the joints.  Synonymous with dengue fever and breakbone fever.

Diapause:  Dormancy initiated by predictable, regular and recurring periods of adverse environmental conditions such as drought associated with the annual dry season.  This term is usually applied to animals but we are using it on this website in reference to plants and as an antonym to quiescence (See this).

Diploid:  Having two sets of chromosomes, with one set inherited from each parent.

Diploid Number:  The total number of chromosomes in each cell.

Dormancy:  In plants, a period when growth and development are temporarily stopped.

Ecospecies: A term synonymous with ecotype.

Ectoparasite: A parasite that lives outside of the host plant.

Ecotype:  A genetically distinct geographic variety, population or race within a species, that is adapted to specific environmental conditions.  The term may be considered synonymous with ecospecies.

Embryo Dormancy:  Synonymous with seed dormancy (See this).

Endangered Species:  A plant or animal species that exists in such small numbers that it is likely to become extinct.

Endemic:  Plants that evolved on the Hawaiian Islands and are not found growing anywhere else without human intervention.

Endoparasite: A parasite that lives within the host plant.

Endorsed Nursery (Plant Pono). A nursery that follows a code of conduct to ensure plants are coqui and Little Fire Ant (LFA) free. They also promote non-invasive and native plants as an alternative to invasive landscaping plants and don’t sell confirmed or potentially invasive species.

Epiphyas postvittana: An invasive moth species from Australia introduced into Hawaii and many other areas.  It feeds on numerous crops and ornamental species but is not a significant pest in Hawaii.  Plant shipments from Hawaii are subject to the terms of a specific domestic quarantine order relating to this pest.  Certified nurseries must inspect plants for the moth, are assigned a HI-BRN# and apply a quarantine stamp to containers of plants exported to destinations outside Hawaii.

ESA: Acronym for the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Extensive Farming or Extensive Agriculture:  An agricultural production system that uses small inputs of labor, fertilizers, and capital, relative to the land area being farmed.

Extinct:  Species that have no living members.

Extinct in the Wild: A species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as only known by living members kept in captivity or as a naturalized population outside its historic range due to massive habitat loss.

F1 Hybrid:  An F1 hybrid (or filial 1 hybrid) is the first filial generation of offspring of distinctly different parental types.

F2 Hybrid:  An F2 hybrid (or filial 2 hybrid) is the second filial generation resulting from a cross of two individuals of the F1 generation.

F3 Hybrid:  An F3 hybrid (or filial 3 hybrid) is the third filial generation resulting from a cross of two individuals of the F2 generation.

Follicle:  A dry unilocular  (single chambered) fruit formed from one carpel, containing one or more seeds.  It is usually defined as dehiscing by a suture to release seeds.

FSMA:  Acronym for Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011.

FSVP: Acronym for Foreign Supplier Verification Programs.

Functionally Extinct:  When only a small number of individuals of a species survive and they cannot reproduce.

Genetically Modified Organism: A novel organism whose genetic material has been altered using techniques generally known as recombinant DNA technology. Recombinant DNA technology is the ability to combine DNA molecules from different sources into a single molecule.

Genotype: The sum total of genetic information (DNA sequence) comprising the unique genome of an organism.  The term also refers to a specific combination of alleles for a particular gene or locus.  The genotype is a major factor determining the of the phenotype of an organism.

Genotype Code:  An alphanumeric code that we use to identify plants with a unique genome.  The code consists of sections separated by dashes in the following order:  abbreviation for the species taxon; code for the plant source or seed lot; number assigned to the individual plant from the source or seed lot.  Additional numeric codes may be applied as a suffix to the genotype code to identify clones (cuttings), and successive clones produced from the genotype and the year(s) of production. For example, the Genotype Code HRX-SL54-007 identifies the plant as of the taxon Hoodia ruschii hybrid, an individual plant (seedling) numbered 7, grown from Seed Lot 54.  The genotype code HRX-SL54-007-06(16) would signify the sixth cutting made from the plant in the year 2016.  The genotype code HRX-SL54-007-012(13)-06(16) would signify the sixth cutting produced in 2016 from the twelfth cutting produced in 2013 from the referenced seedling.

Germplasm:  Living tissue from which new plants can be grown such as a seed, leaf, piece of stem, pollen or cells.

GMO: Acronym for genetically modified organism.

HDOA: Acronym for Hawaii Department of Agriculture.

Helminth:  A parasitic worm.

HI-BRN#: The USDA number for a Hawaii nursery certified under the Federal Domestic Quarantine Order for the Light Brown Apple Moth, Epiphyas postvittana.

HPWRA: Acronym for Hawai’i-Pacific Weed Assessment.

Indigenous:  Plant species that evolved outside the Hawaiian Islands, were transported to the islands by natural forces and formed natural populations here before human arrival.

Internal Dormancy:  Synonymous with seed dormancy (See this).

Intensive Farming or Intensive Agriculture:  An agricultural production system that uses large inputs of labor, fertilizers, and capital, relative to the land area being farmed.

Intermediate Host: An organism that is needed for the development cycle of a parasite to progress in its immature or nonreproductive forms.

Invasive Species:  An alien species that is not native to Hawaii or the Hawaiian ecosystem under consideration whose introduction and spread causes or is likely to cause harm to the economy, environment or human health. Invasive plants are both non-native and able to establish on many sites, grow quickly, and spread to the point of disrupting existing plant communities or ecosystems.  Examples of environmental harm caused by invasive species include modification of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity.   In common usage, the terms “invasive” and “invasives” are used as abbreviated singular and plural forms of “invasive species”.

IFOAM: Acronym for International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements.

International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements:  A global organization that works toward true sustainability in agriculture, from the field, through the value chain to the consumer.

Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment:  A screening tool to ask “background questions” and access the potential for invasiveness of plants before they imported or widely planted in Hawai‘i.

HK:  Acronym for Ho`omalu Ka`ū.

Ho`omalu Ka`ū:  A nonprofit organization in Nā`ālehu, Hawai’i engaged in conservation of dryland forest plants and other activities relating to the culture, history and health of Ka`ū and its people.

Horns or Seed Horns:  The fruit of an asclepiad plant consisting of a pair of slender horn-like follicles.

HPWRA:  Acronym for Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment.

IUCN:  International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Kahuna Lāàu Lapa àu:  Native Hawaiian herbalist-physicians.

Kaʻū : The southernmost district of Hawaiʻi County, Hawaiʻi, located on the island of Hawaiʻi.

LBAM:  Acronym for light brown apple moth Epiphyas postvittana (See this).

LFA: Acronym for little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata.

Light Brown Apple Moth: Common name for Epiphyas postvittana (See this).

National Organic Program:  The federal regulatory framework in the United States governing organic food. It is also the name of the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service program responsible for administering and enforcing the regulatory framework..  It is codified in the Code of Federal Regulations at 7 C.F.R.205.

Native Plant: A plant that is a part of the balance of nature that has developed over hundreds or thousands of years on a Hawaiian island or a specific Hawaiian ecosystem.  As used here, this term includes endemic and indigenous Hawaiian plants, and Polynesian introduced plants.

Naturalized Plant: A non-native plant that does not need human help to reproduce and maintain itself over time in an area of where it is not native.  By this definition invasive plants are a subset of naturalized plants.  However, the term “naturalized” is commonly used to refer to plants that do not, over time, become invasive or permanent members of the local plant community. Many naturalized plants are found primarily near human-dominated areas.  Sometimes “naturalized” is used (confusingly) to refer specifically to naturally reproducing, non-native plants that do not invade areas dominated by native vegetation.

NAR: Acronym for Natural Area Reserve.

Nematode: Any of the numerous worms of the phylum Nematoda, having unsegmented cylindrical bodies often narrowing at each end, a tough outer cuticle and a well developed gastrointestinal tract.  Nematodes include free-living species that are abundant in soil and water, and species that are parasites of plants and animals, such as eelworms, pinworms, and hookworms. Also called roundworm.

Non-native Plant: A plant introduced with human help (intentionally or accidentally) to a new place or new type of habitat where it was not previously found.

NOP: AAcronym for National Organic Program.

Noxious Weed: A plant (native or non-native) that is particularly troublesome. As defined in the legal context of the Federal Plant Protection Act it is any plant or plant product that can directly or indirectly injure or cause damage to crops (including nursery stock or plant products), livestock, poultry or other interests of agriculture, irrigation, navigation, the natural resources of the United States, the public health, or the environment.

Nursery Stock:  Plants grown in a nursery.

OFPA: Acronym for Organic Foods Production Act.

Organic Foods Production Act:  The statute that required that the USDA to develop national standards for organic products.

Organic:  In the United States, a labeling term for food or agricultural products that have been produced according to USDA organic regulations.

Pachycaul: A morphologic grouping of many unrelated plants all having a disproportionately thick trunk for their height, and few branches. The word is derived from the Greek pachy- meaning thick or stout, and Latin caulis meaning the stem.

Paratenic Host: A host similar to an intermediate host, except that it is not needed for the parasite’s development cycle to progress. Paratenic hosts provide harborage for the immature stages of a parasite in which they can accumulate in high numbers.

Pāhoehoe: A basaltic lava that has a smooth, hummocky, or ropy surface.

Pappus (plural pappi):  A tuft of hairs on a seed that assists in its dispersal by the wind.

Participatory Guarantee System: Locally-focused quality assurance systems that certify producers based on active participation of stakeholders and are built on a foundation of trust, social networks and knowledge exchange.

PCIT: Acronym for the USDA Phytosanitary Certificate Issuance and Tracking System.

PExD: Acronym for the USDA’s Phytosanitary Export Database System.

PGS: Acronym for Participatory Guarantee System.

Phenotype:  The composite of observable characteristics, traits or behaviors displayed by an organism under a particular set of environmental conditions.

Phytosanitary Certificate:  An inspection certificate issued by a competent governmental authority (usually an agriculture agency) to document that a particular consignment (lot) of plants or seeds from a country or state has been properly described, inspected, treated if necessary, and found to be free from harmful pests and plant diseases. Documentation required for compliance with CITES is sometimes included on the certificate.  Requirements for these certificates are specified by the country or state of destination. The certificate must be issued before the customs clearances for export and import. It is granted for a period of sixty days, which should be sufficient to cover the time needed for completion of international shipments.  A phytosanitary certificate does not apply to other sanitation requirements such as those relating to shipments of foods and drugs.

Plant Pono:  A program that seeks to recognize exemplary businesses who voluntarily act to protect their business and community from the threat of invasive species.

PIER: Acronym for the Pacific Islands Ecosystems at Risk project.

Plant Patent:  A right granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office that allows the patent owner to exclude others from propagating the patented plant variety, or from selling our using it, or any of its parts in the United States.  Owners of plant patents may also prohibit importation of patented plants or plant parts into the United States.

Pollinarium (plural pollinaria):  The pollen bearing structure found in the flowers of asclepiad plants that becomes attached to an insect during pollination.

Polynesian Plant:  Plants introduced on the Hawaiian islands by the first Polynesian settlers.  These are sometimes referred to as “canoe plants.”  They are not endemic or indigenous plants.

Polyploid:  Having more than two paired (homologous) sets of chromosomes per cell.

Pono:  A Hawaiian word expressing the personal and organizational value of rightness, excellence, order and balance.  It is part of the state motto: Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono or “The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness”.

PPQ:  Acronym for Plant Protection and Quarantine.

QC 650:  The Master Permit number for shipment of nursery stock from Hawaii to California.

Quiescence:  A spontaneous and reversible period of dormancy initiated as a response to unpredictable and unfavorable environmental conditions.  This form of dormancy may be released when favorable conditions return.

Radopholus similis:  An endoparasitic species of nematode that is a major pest of bananas, citus and many other crops and ornamentals.  The nematode burrows into the roots of plants causing lesions that form cankers.  Specimens and planting media in certified nurseries are tested for the presence of this pest as part of the regulatory inspection and certification processes for nurseries in Hawaii.

Rapid Ōhià Death:  A newly reported fungal disease of ʻōhiʻa trees (Metrosideros polymorpha), the most abundant native tree in Hawaiʻi. Healthy trees appear to die within a few days to a few weeks, hence the disease came to be called Rapid Ōhià Death.

Rat Lungworm: A parasitic worm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis) for which rats are the primary host. In common use it may also refers to the human disease caused by infections of the worm.

Regenerative Agriculture:  A system of conservation and rehabilitative farming principles and practices that increase biodiversity, enrich soils, improve the water cycle, and enhance ecosystem services.  By capturing carbon in soil and aboveground biomass, it aims to reverse global climate change.  Benefits of the system include increased yields, resilience to climate instability, and higher health and vitality for farming communities.

Reniform Nematode: Common name for Rotylenchulus reniformis (See this).

ROD: Acronym for Rapid Ōhià Death.

RLWD: Acronym for rat lungworm disease.

Rotylenchulus reniformis.  A species of parasitic nematode that infects many different plant crops around the world.  Unlike the burrowing nematodes, this is a semi-endoparasite that lives on the outside of roots and in the soil. The female penetrates the roots from a permanent feeding site and lives in a sessile position projecting from the root.

Roundworm: Synonymous with nematode (see this).

Sclerophyllous:  Plants with hard leaves, short distances between leaves along the stem (internodes) and leaf orientations parallel or oblique to direct sunlight.

Scoria: Vesicular rocks, usually black or red, that are ejected into the air from a volcanic eruption larger that 2 millimeters that sink in water (specific gravity greater than 1.0.  Synonymous with volcanic cinders.

Seed Dormancy:  Failure of seeds to germinate under favorable conditions induced by characteristics of the embryo, not by the seed coat or external factors.  Synonymous with embryo dormancy and internal dormancy.

Seed Lot:  A discrete batch of seed received on a specific date, from a specific source and packaged in a single packaging.  For Hoodia and other asclepiad seeds from plants that we grow the seed lot number refers to seeds originating from a single flower that would be disbursed from one pair of follicles (seed horn).

Semi-endoparasite:  A parasite that partially penetrates the tissue of the plant.

Senescence:  The condition or process of deterioration with age.

Shoot:  A stem and its leaves, lateral and flower buds.  In our discussions of Hoodia plants, we use this term to refer only to single stems extending vertically from the base of the plant, not the vegetative appendages (side shoots) extending horizontally from the shoots that we refer to as branches.

Silvaculture: The art and science of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests and woodlands to meet the diverse needs and values of landowners and society on a sustainable basis.

Socotra: An island located between the Guardafui Channel and the Arabian Sea and the largest of the four islands that make up the Socotra archipelago.

Species:  Species (abbreviated sp., with the plural form species abbreviated spp.) is the basic unit of biological classification and a taxonomic rank.  A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which two individuals can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction.

spp.   Acronym for the plural form of the term “species”.

ssp.   Acronym for the term “subspecies”.

subsp.   Acronym for the term “subspecies”.

Subspecies:  A taxonomic rank subordinate to species (abbreviated “subsp.” or “ssp.”).  Subspecies (either an individual subspecies, or collective group of subspecies) are genetically or morphologically distinct among other subspecies belonging to the same species, yet can still produce viable offspring from interbreeding.

Sustainable Agriculture (Federal definition):  The term ”sustainable agriculture” from U.S. Code Title 7, Section 3103 means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will over the long-term:

• Satisfy human food and fiber needs.
• Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agriculture economy depends.
• Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls.
• Sustain the economic viability of farm operations.
• Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.

Tefra: Any type and size of rock fragment that is forcibly ejected from a volcano and travels an airborne path during an eruption.

Tetraploid:  Having four sets of chromosomes per cell.

Tisane: An herbal tea used as a beverage of for its medical effects.  Also referred to as an infusion.

Translocated Plant:  A plant not native to the island or habitat where it is now found.

Tubercle:  On the hoodias this refers to the deltoid, laterally flattened projections arranged in vertical rows running longitudinally up the stems of asclepiad plants such as Hoodia.  Each tubercle is tipped with a spine.

USDA. Acronym for United States Department of Agriculture.

var.   Acronym for the term “variety”.

Variety:  A taxonomic rank below that of species and subspecies.  Varieties have distinct characteristics that distinguish them from other varieties and may be naturally occurring or selected for by human intervention e.g., plant breeding.  We refer to varieties developed in cultivation as “cultivars”.

Vulnerable Species: A species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction improve.

Weed: In common usage, a weed is a plant (native or non-native) that is not valued in the place where it is growing.  The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) definition refers to any plant that poses a major threat to agriculture and/or natural ecosystems within the United States.

Zeatin: A cytokinin phytohormone that stimulates cell division and plant growth.

Zika: A human disease caused by a virus in the family Flaviviridae that is transmitted primarily by the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes.  Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause infants to be born with microcephaly and other congenital malformations, known as congenital Zika syndrome. It is associated with other complications of pregnancy including preterm birth and miscarriage.  Zika virus infection in adults and children, can also result in neurologic complications including Guillain-Barré syndrome, neuropathy and myelitis.