I have always used "sinister" and "dexter" myself Sir Edward. Being placed upright is usually referred to as being, say, a rose "proper" would it not? I agree on the SCA herald issue of being questionable in some regards, just thought it might be a good starting point. 
Actually, "proper" refers primarily to the color (and also orientation if not specified), so a "rose proper" would be a rose flower (without stem), colored red. If you specify the stem and leaves, then those parts would be green. A "proper" charge is the only time you're allowed to violate the rules of tincture with a color on color. For instance, you could have a red field with a "tree proper" on it that would have green leaves and a brown trunk. That's my understanding anyway. I'm not sure how much of that came from the SCA though.
