Plant Terminology

  • Acuminate-tapering gradually to a long thin point




  • Acute-applied to tips and bases of structures ending in a point less than right angle




  • Alternate-One leaf, bud, or branch per node




  • Apex-Tip; end opposite point of attachment




  • Apiculate-Ending with a short sharp abrupt point




  • Appressed-Lying flat against




  • Aril-Fleshy or pulpy covering or appendage from the base of a seed




  • Arillate-Having an aril or arils




  • Auriculate-Eared




  • Awl-shaped-Having a linear shape and tapering to a fine point; narrowly triangular




  • Axil-The space between any two adjoining organs, such as stem and leaf




  • Axillary-In an axil




  • Berry-Any fruit with fleshy walls and with few to many seeds encased in soft tissue




  • Bixexual-Having both sexes present and functional in the same individual




  • Blade-Flattened and expanded part of a leaf, or parts of a compound laf




  • Brackish-Somewhat salty




  • Bract-A reduced leaf, particularly at base of flower or flower stalk




  • Branchlet-A small or secondary branch




  • Bristle-A stiff hairlike structure




  • Bundle scar-A scar within a leaf scar where the vein system broke when the leaf dropped




  • Bur-A rough, prickly, or spiny flower or fruit(or cluster of either) and any associated parts




  • Callus-A localized hardened or thickened protuberance of prominence




  • Calyx-Collective term for all the sepals of a flower, whether separate or united; the outer series of flower parts and of the perianth




  • Capsule-A dry fruit with two or more rows of seeds




  • Carpel-A simple pistil or a unit of a compound pistil




  • Catkin-Inflorescence consisting of numerous bracts and unisexual apetalous flowers densely arranged on drooping or erect spikes




  • Cilliate-Fringed with hairs




  • Claw-The narrowed parallel-sided base of a sepal or petal in some kinds of flowers




  • Coastal Plain-Dry-land portion of the Atlantic Plain as opposed to teh Continental Shelf, the underwater portion




  • Compound Leaf- one divided into 2 or more blades (leaflets)




  • Cone-A mass of ovule-bearing or pollen-bearing bracts or scales that are arranged spirally on a cylindrical or globose axis




  • Conic-Cone-shaped




  • Conifer-Plants without flowers, the ovules naked




  • Continuous pith- pith is uninterrupted by air pockets or chambers





  • Cordate-Heart-shaped in outline; descriptive of an ovate organ




  • Coriaceous-Having a stiff leathery texture




  • Corolla-Collective term for all the petals of a flower, whether separate or united; the inner series of the perianth




  • corymb-A flat- or round-topped flower cluster in which the outer pedicels are longer than the inner ones, the outer flowers opening before the center ones




  • Crenate-Having margins scalloped with shallow rounded teeth




  • Deciduous-Not evergreen; foliage dying and usually falling after growing season




  • Decurrent-Extending down and attached to the stem, forming a ridge or wing




  • Dehiscent-Opening by natural splitting, as an anther discharging pollen or a fruit its seeds




  • Dentate-Toothed, having sharp spreading coarse teeth that are perpendicular to the margin




  • Denticulate-Finely dentate




  • Diaphragm-A corss partition; a membrane that separates, as in pith




  • Drupe-Fleshy indehiscent fruit having a single seed encased in a hard stony covering




  • Dune-Pile or ridge of loose sand deposited by wind action




  • Eared-Having an earlike process or appendage, usually at the base of an organ; frequently applied to leaves and petals




  • Ellipsoid-Said of a 3-dimensional body whose plane sections are all either ellipses or circles




  • Elliptic-Oblong with the ends equally rounded or nearly so




  • Entire-Smooth, without teeth or indentations; applied to margins, edges




  • Evergreen-Plants with live leaves persisting through one or more winter seasons




  • Falcate-Crescent-shaped




  • Fimbriate-Margin divided into narrow or filiform segments oftern of irregular sizes; fringed




  • Follicle-A dry one-celled fruit with a single placenta and splitting along the opposite edge




  • Fruit-A matured pistil together with any other structue that may adhere to it; the seed-bearing organ of a flowering plant and any attached structure




  • Glabrous- without hairs, bristles or stalked glands





  • Gland-A depression, protuberance, or appendage on the surface of an organ, which seretes a usually sticky fluid; any structure resembling such a gland




  • Glaucous-A surface with a fine white substance (bloom) that will rub of, as on some grapes and blueberries




  • Globose-Globe-shaped; spherical




  • Glutinous-Sticky, gummy, having quality of glue




  • Hammock-A raised fertile area in the midst of a wetland and characterized by hardwood vegetation and deep humus soil




  • Indehiscent-Not opening naturally or after maturity




  • Inflorescence-Any complete flower cluster including branches and bracts




  • Irregular- not growing in pairs (see opposite)




  • Keel-A central ridge on the back of plant parts such as sepals, petals, or bud scales




  • Knee-A woody knob arising from the root and extending above ground or water level




  • Lanceolate-Much longer than wide, widest below the middle, tapering toward apex, or both apex and base; resembling a lance head




  • Leaf scar-Mark left on a twig where a leaf has broken off




  • Leaflet-A single segment (blade) of a compound leaf




  • Lenticel-Small corky spot or line on the bark of a twig, branch, and/or trunk of a woody plant




  • Linear-Narrow and elongated with sides parallel or nearly so




  • Lobe-Segment of a leaf between indentations that do not extend to the midrib or base of the leaf




  • Midrib-Central or main vein of a leaf or leaflike part




  • Needle-A narrow usually stiff laef, as in pines, firs, and hemlocks




  • Node-The narrow region on a stem where a leaf or leaves are or were attached




  • Nut-An indehiscent one-seeded fruit having a hard outer wall




  • Nutlet-A small nut loosely distinguished by its size




  • Oblong-Elongate in form with sides parallel or nearly so, the ends more or less blunted and not tapering




  • Obtuse-A blunt point, the angle of the point being greater than 90 degrees




  • Opposite- growing in pairs, one on each side of the axis and 180 degrees from each other




  • Orbicular-Circular in outline




  • Ovary-The part of the pistil containing the ovules, which develop into seeds; matures into a fruit




  • Ovate-A 2-dimensional structure having the outline of an egg with the weder half below the middle




  • Ovoid-A 3-dimensional structure having the shape of an egg with the broader half below the middle




  • Ovule-The egg-containing sturcture that, after fertilization, develops into a seed




  • Palmate- radiately arranged, ribbed, or lobed, as fingers of a hand





  • Palmately Compound- leaves with 3 or more leaflets arising from a common point




  • Panicle-An irregularly compound raceme




  • Papillose-Bearing small nipplelike projections




  • Pedicel-The stalk of a single flower




  • Peduncle-The main flower stalk of the inflorescence supporting either a cluster of flowers or the only flower of a single-flowered inflorescence




  • Peltate-Having the stalk of a leaf attached to the lower surface of the blade somewhere withing the margin rather than on the margin




  • Pendulous-Drooping or hanging loosely




  • Perfect flowers- flowers having both stamens and pistils





  • Perianth-The calyx and corolla collectively, or the calyx alone if the corolla is absent




  • Persistent-Remaining attached past expected time for dropping




  • Petal-One of the parts of the corolla, the inner set of the perianth; may be separate or united to another petal




  • Petiole-The attaching stalk of a leaf; sometimes absent




  • Pinnate-Having lobes or blades of a leaf arranged along the sides of a common axis, as the pinnae of a feather




  • Pistil-The female ovule-bearing organ of a flower, composed of stigma(s) and ovary, usually with a style or styles between; consists of a single carpel or of two or more fused carpels




  • Pit-Sometimes used for stone




  • Pith- soft spongelike tissue at center of woody stems





  • Placenta-The ovule-bearing surface in the ovary and seed-bearing surface in the fruit




  • Pod-Any dry dehiscent fruit




  • Pollen-Male sporelike structures produced by anthers in flowers and by male cones of pines and their relatives




  • Pome-A fleshy fruit, as in Apple or Pear, having several seed chambers formed from the ovary wall, part of which is parchmentlike or bony in texture; the fleshy portion formed largely from the hypanthium




  • Prickle-A small sharp spinelike projection that is part of the bark or epidermis as in Hercules-club




  • Punctate-Spotted with colored or translucent dots or depressions, usually due to glands




  • Raceme-An inflorescence in which stalked flowers are arranged singly along a common elongated axis




  • Rachis-The main axis of a spike; or of a pinnately compound leaf, excluding the petiole




  • Reflexed-Abruptly turned or bent toward the base




  • Resin-Sticky plant exudate insoluble in water




  • Retrorse-Directed backward and downward




  • Revolute-Rolled under at the margin




  • Rosin-Hard substance remaining after evaporating turpentine from pine resin




  • Samara- winged, indehiscent fruit with one seed in elms and two seeds in maples





  • Scabrous-Rough or harsh to the touch due to minute stiff hairs or other projections




  • Scale-Applied to many kinds of small thin flat appressed usually dry leaves or bracts, often vestigial




  • Scurfy-Surface with small scalelike or branlike particles




  • Seed-A ripened ovule containing an embryo capable of producing a new plant




  • Sepal-One of the parts of a calyx or outer set of flower parts; may be separate or united to another petal




  • Serrate- having sharp, sawlike teeth pointed upward or forward






  • Sessile-Without any kind of stalk




  • Sheath-Atubular structure surrounding an organ or part, such as the basal bart of a leaf; the circle of scales around the base of pine needles




  • Shrub-A woody plant under tree size, frequently with several branches at or near the base




  • Sinus-The cleft or recess between two lobes of an expanded organ




  • Spatulate-Like a spatula; somewhat widened toward a rounded end




  • Spike-A type of inflorescence in which stalkless flowers are attached along the sides of an elongated common axis




  • Spine-A sharp-pointed modified leaf or part of a leaf




  • Stamen-The pollen-producing organ of a flower, usually consisting of anther and filament




  • Stellate-Star-shaped




  • Stigma-The pollen-receptive part of a pistil




  • Stipe-Stalk of a pistil




  • Stipitate-Having or borne on a stipe




  • Stipules-A pair of structures, usually small, on the base of the petiole or on the stem near the petiole or on both




  • Stone-A seed with a bony covering




  • Style-That portion of the pistil between stigma and ovary




  • Superposed-Attached above another part




  • Terete-Circular in cross-section




  • Thorn-A hard sharp-pointed stem




  • Tomentose-Densely covered with soft fine matted woolly relatively short hairs




  • Tree-Plant with a perennial trunk a minimum of 4m in height and a diameter at least 7.5cm at breast height




  • Truncate-An apex or base nearly or quite straight across




  • Turbinate-Top-shaped; a solid having a tapering base and a broad rounded apex




  • Two-ranked-The attachment of alternate or opposite leaves on a stem in two opposite vertical rows, thus the places of attachment lying in one plane




  • Umbel-A type of inflorescence in which flower stalks of approximately equal length arise from the same level on the stem like ribs of an umbrella




  • Villous-Densely covered with soft fine unmatted relatively long hairs




  • Whorl-Three or more structures in a circle, not spiralled; e.g. three or more leaves at a node.

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