Glossary
This bilingual glossary collects the small plant terms that make observation, comparison, and care advice more useful. Instead of treating vocabulary like academic decoration, Plant Atlas uses these terms as practical tools for reading a plant more accurately.
这个双语术语表收集的是那些真正能提高观察、比较和养护判断的植物词汇。Plant Atlas 不把术语当成装饰性的学术词，而是把它们当成帮助读者更准确读懂植物的实用工具。
How to use it
Structure
The point where leaves, branches, or aerial roots emerge. Useful for reading growth pattern and spacing.
节点是叶、枝或气生根长出来的位置，也是判断生长节奏和结构关系的重要起点。
Structure
The space between nodes. It often lengthens under weaker light and becomes shorter in compact growth.
节间是两个节点之间的距离，常常会因为光弱拉长，也会在紧凑生长时缩短。
Leaf logic
The visible pattern of veins inside a leaf. Helpful for broad group comparison and structural reading.
叶脉型是叶片内部可见脉络的方式，常常能帮助读者在大类比较时快速缩小范围。
Form
Leaves arranged around a very short stem base, often appearing close to the soil surface.
莲座指叶片围绕很短的茎基部排列，因此植物常常呈现贴近土面的聚拢形态。
Surface
The waxy outer layer of a leaf. It affects gloss, water loss, and how a leaf handles exposure.
角质层是叶表外层偏蜡质的保护结构，会影响光泽、失水速度和耐暴露能力。
Attachment
The stalk attaching a leaf blade to the stem. Length and articulation can be useful identification clues.
叶柄是连接叶片和茎的结构，长短和连接方式都可能是很有价值的识别线索。
Care vocabulary
| Term /术语 | Meaning / 含义 | Why readers should care / 为什么值得掌握 |
|---|---|---|
| Root occupancy / 占盆率 | How much of the pot volume is actually occupied by roots | It changes drying speed and watering logic. |
| Dry-back / 回干 | How a substrate moves from wet toward breathable normal moisture | It is more useful than a calendar when deciding how to water. |
| Compaction / 板结 | Loss of pore space in a substrate over time | It can make a pot stay wet yet low in oxygen. |
| Airflow / 通风 | Moving air around the plant and pot | It changes drying rhythm, fungal pressure, and leaf comfort. |
Why this page matters
Readers often lose confidence not because a page lacks photos, but because the language stays mushy. Once terms like node, internode, root occupancy, and compaction become familiar, later pages stop feeling vague and start feeling usable.
很多读者读不下去，不是因为页面没图，而是因为语言一直很糊。像节点、节间、占盆率、板结这些词一旦变得熟悉，后面的页面就不会再只是“看着懂一点”，而会真正变得能用。
Continue reading