diff --git a/skimage/filters/_gaussian.py b/skimage/filters/_gaussian.py
index d94c8942..9eb3fcf5 100644
--- a/skimage/filters/_gaussian.py
+++ b/skimage/filters/_gaussian.py
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ def gaussian(image, sigma=1, output=None, mode='nearest', cval=0,
     Parameters
     ----------
     image : array-like
-        input image (grayscale or color) to filter.
+        Input image (grayscale or color) to filter.
     sigma : scalar or sequence of scalars, optional
-        standard deviation for Gaussian kernel. The standard
+        Standard deviation for Gaussian kernel. The standard
         deviations of the Gaussian filter are given for each axis as a
         sequence, or as a single number, in which case it is equal for
         all axes.
diff --git a/skimage/filters/rank/generic.py b/skimage/filters/rank/generic.py
index 75ccc524..83b8fbc2 100644
--- a/skimage/filters/rank/generic.py
+++ b/skimage/filters/rank/generic.py
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ def _apply_vector_per_pixel(func, image, selem, out, mask, shift_x, shift_y,
     return out
 
 
-def default_selem(func):
+def _default_selem(func):
     """Decorator to add a default structuring element to morphology functions.
 
     Parameters
@@ -485,7 +485,7 @@ def subtract_mean(image, selem, out=None, mask=None, shift_x=False,
                                    shift_x=shift_x, shift_y=shift_y)
 
 
-@default_selem
+@_default_selem
 def median(image, selem=None, out=None, mask=None,
            shift_x=False, shift_y=False):
     """Return local median of an image.