Glossary

achene - a type of one-seeded, dry, indehiscent fruit

actinomorphic - symmetrical, regular

acuminateous - buds or roots that develop without pattern in an unusual or irregular position

alternate - said of a leaf borne singly at each node

annual - living only 1 year

arcuate - curved or arching

aristate - awned; provided with a bristle at the apex

attenuate - long, gradual taper of a leaf base

auriculate - ear-shaped appendage or lobe

auricle - an ear-shaped appendage

awn - a terminal bristle-like appendage

axil - the angle between any two organs or structures

banner - the upper petal of a corolla in the Pea family

basal - lower part of a plant or organ

beaked - having a short, terminal projection

berry - a pulply, indehiscent fruit with few to many seeds

biennial - life cycle completed in 2 years or seasons

bilabiate - two-lipped, especially the corolla

bladder - small structures on submersed leaves which act as traps for capturing insect larvae

blade - the expanded portion of a leaf

bract - a reduced leaf or small leaflike structure, particularly one subtending a flower or an inflorescence branch

bristle - a stiff hair or hairlike growth

calyx - the usually green, outer whorl of the perianth, composed of sepals

campanulate - bell-shaped

capillary - hairlike

capitate - headlike or in a head

capsule - a dry, dehiscent fruit that splits three or more ways at maturity

catkin - a deciduous, erect or lax spike, consisting of unisexual flowers without petals

cauline - belonging to the stem

chaffy - having dry membranous bracts or scales

circumscissile - dehiscing by a transverse line around the fruit

claw - the long narrow base of a petal in some flowers

compound - formed of several parts united in one common whole, as of leaves composed of two or more distinct leaflets

cordate - with a sinus (space between two lobes) and rounded lobes at the base, usually ovate in general outline, heart shaped

corm - a solid, bulblike stem, usually found underground

corolla - the inner, usually colored whorl of the perianth, composed of petals

corona - a crown; the whorl of structures between the corolla and stamens (Asclepiadaceae, Passifloraceae)

corymb - a racemose type of inflorescence in which the flower pedicels are successively elongate forming a more or less flat-topped inflorescence, the outer flowers opening before the inner

costa - a rib; the midvein of a leaf

crenate - having shallow, rounded teeth; scalloped

crucicate - cross shaped

cuneate - triangular or wedge-shaped, with narrow end at point of attachment

culm - the specialized stem of grasses, sedges, and rushes

cuticle - a waxy, protective layer on the surfaces of the leaves and stems of plants

cyathium - the ultimate inflorescence of Euphorbia, consisting of a cup-like involucre bearing flowers from its base

cyme - a type of inflorescence in which the main axis terminates in a single flower which opens before the lateral flowers arising beneath

deciduous - falling after completion of the normal function

decompounds - more than once compound

decurrent - extending downward, applied usually to leaves in which the blade is apparently prolonged downward as two wings along the petiole or along the stem

dehiscent - splitting open at maturity

deltoid - triangular in outline

dentate - with sharp, spreading teeth

determinate - an inflorescence with the terminal flower opening before those below

dichotomous - forked regularly in pairs

dicotyledon - plants with two seed leaves (usually broadleaf plants)

dioecious - having the staminate and pistillate flowers on separate plants

disk floret - in the Aster family, a small flower with a tubular corolla in the central portion of the flowering head

dissected - divided into narrow segments

dorsal - the lower surface of a leaf

drupe - a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one seed enclosed in a stony endocarp

ellipsoid - referring to a solid object that is broadest at the middle, gradually tapering to both ends

elliptic - broadest at the middle, gradually tapering to both ends

emersed - rising above the water surface

endocarp - the inner layer of the fruit wall

ensiform - sword shaped

entire - a margin without teeth, lobes, or division

fibrous - referring to roots born in tufts

float - an inflated stem

floret - a small flower of a dense inflorescence

follicle - a dry dehiscent fruit opening by one suture

frond - a leaf of a fern

funnelform - shaped like a funnel

glabrous - without pubescence

glaucous - covered with a whitish bloom that rubs off easily

glume - a chaffy bract, especially on the pair of bracts at the base of a grass spiklet

glandular strong- having or bearing secreting organs, glands or trichomes

hastate - arrow-shaped, with basal lobes that spread nearly or quite at right angles

herb - - a nonwoody plant

hypanthium - a cup-shaped enlargement of the receptacle on which the calyx, corolla, and often stamens are inserted

imperfect - having either functional stamens or functional pistils - unisexual

indehiscent - not splitting open at maturity

inflorescence - the mode of arrangement of flowers

internode - stem region between nodes

involucre - a group of closely placed bracts that subtend or enclose an inflorescence

irregular - asymmetrical

keel - a central dorsal ridge, the two united front petals of a flower (Fabaceae - the Pea Family)

lanceolate - - lance-shaped; broadest near base, gradually tapering to the narrower tip

leaflet - a segment of a compound leaf

legume - a superior one-loculed fruit consisting of a simple pistil, usually dehiscent into tow valves having the seeds attached along a vertical structure

lemma - the lower of two bracts enclosing the flower of a grass

lenticel - corky spots on young bark

ligulate floret - small flower with corolla expanded and appearing tongue shaped

ligule - small, usually flat, outgrowths at the inside junction of the sheath and leaf blade in grasses

linear - elongated and uniform in width throughout

lobed - - outward projections from the margins of an organ, usually with the margin indented on either side of the projection, as in leaves

loment - a leguminous fruit, constricted between the seeds, each one-seeded segment separated at maturity

lyrate - pinnatifid with an enlarged terminal lobe and smaller lower lobes

membranous - of the nature of a membrance,thin, pliable, soft

midrib - main rib of normal leaf running from base to apex

monocotyledon - - plants with one seed leaf and parallel veined leaves

monoecious - having staminate and pistillate flowers on the same plant

mucilaginous - slimy

mucro - a sharp, short and abrupt tip

mucronate - said of an appendage that comes to an abrupt point

net-veined - having the veins intricately branched and connected by cross -veins as to form a network

node - that place on the stem from which leaves, branchlets, and adventitious roots arise

oblanceolate - in outline, broadest above the middle, shortly tapered to the base, much longer than broad

oblique - slanting; unequal-sided

oblong - broadest at the middle, and tapering to both ends, but broader than elliptic

obovate - inverted ovate

obtuse - - having a blunt or rounded end

ocrea - a papery sheath formed by the fusion of the stipules, chiefly in the Polygonaceae (Smartweed family)

opposite - said of two leaves borne across from each other at the same node

orbicular - - circular in outline

ovary - the part of the pistil containing the ovules

ovate - broadly rounded at base, becoming narrowed above; broader than lanceolate

ovoid - - referring to a solid object that is broadly rounded at the base, becoming narrowed above

palea - the small upper bract enclosing the flower of a grass

palmate - divided radically, like the fingers of a hand

panicle - a type of inflorescence composed of several racemes

pappus - in Asteraceae (Compositae), designation for the collective scales, bristles, crown, etc., at the summit of the ovary (or achene) and outside the corolla

parallel-veined - - said of an organ in which the veins are so placed relative to one another that they approximate parallel lines

pectinate - narrow close divisions

pedicel - the stalk of a flower in an inflorescence

peduncle - the stalk of a flower borne singly or the stalk of an inflorescence

peltate - said of a plane structure that is attached at a point on its surface, not attached marginally

pendulous - - hanging downward

perfect - having both functional stamens and pistils

perennial - living for more than 2 years

perfoliate - said of opposite or whorled leaves or bracts that are united into a collarlike structure around the stem that bears them

perianth - a collective term for the corolla and calyx

petal - one unit of the corolla

petiole - leaf stalk

pinnate - - divided once into distinct segments

pinnatifid - pinnately cleft into narrow lobes not reaching the midrib

pistil - the ovule-producing (female) part of the flower

pistillate - - bearing the female parts of the flower

plumose - having fine elongate hairs; featherlike

poly - a Greek prefix meaning many

prop root - a root produced near the base of the stem to give added support

pubescent - a general term for hairiness

punctate - with depressed dots scattered over the surface

raceme - - a type of inflorescence where flowers with stalks are arranged along an elongated axis

rachilla - a secondary axis, in grasses and sedges, the flower bearing axis

rachis - a stalk bearing flowers or leaflets

ray - outer floret of the head in the Aster family - usually straplike in shape

receptacle - the expanded end of the axis bearing flower parts

regular - symmetrical in shape

retrorse - directed backward

rhizomatous - producing or possessing rhizomes

rhizome - an underground horizontal stem, bearing nodes, buds, and roots

rootlet - a small root

rootstock - subterranean stem

rosette - a- arrangement of leaves clustered symmetrically around the base of the stem

rotate - wheel shaped

sagittate - s- shaped like an arrowhead with the basal lobes pointing downward

salverform - corolla with a slender tube abruptly expanding into a flat limb

samara - an indehiscent winged fruit

scabrous - rough to the touch

scalelike - having the size and form of a small leaf that is closely and flatly pressed against the stem

scape - a leafless (or only bracteates) flowering stem arising from below the substrate or from a very short leafy stem

scalelike - having the size and form of a small leaf that is closely and flatly pressed against the stem

scape - a leafless (or only bracteate) flowering stem arising from below the substrate or from a very short leafy stem

sepal - a single unit of the calyx

serrate - with sharp teeth pointing forward

sessile - without petioles, spikes, or stalks

sheath - t- tubular-type structure surrounding a plant part

sillicle - a short silique, about as long as wide

silique - an elongate, dry, indehiscent frout with a septum separating the two units

simple - neither branched nor otherwise compound

spathe - a large sheathing leaflike structure surrounding or enclosing an inflorescence

spike - a type of inflorescence where flowers without stalks are arranged along an elongated axis

spikelet - a small spike

spine - a sharp-pointed outgrowth from a stem, leaf, or fruit

spinulose - bearing small spines

spur - a saclike extension of the flower

stamen - the pollen-producing (male) part of the flower

stastaminate - bearing the stamens, male parts of the flower (see pistillate)

stigma - the receptive part of the pistil that receives the pollen

stipe - the stalk of a pistil

stipule - an appendage at the base of a petiole, usually in pairs

stolon - a horizontal stem rooting at the nodes

striations - s- small lines or groves

style - the usually elongated part of the pistil between the ovary and the stigma

submersed - l- living below the surface of the water

sympetalous - with the petals at least partially united

taproot - the primary root continuing the axis of the plant downward

teeth - any marginal protuberance, usually sharp-pointed

tentendril - a slender twining or clasping process, modified stem, leaf, or part of a leaf, by which some plants climb

terete - round in cross section

thallose - a flat leaflike organ; used sometimes for the entire plant in the family Lemnaceae, or Duckweeds

tomentose - densely pubescent with short wooly hairs

truncate - cut squarely across, either at the base of apex or an organ

tuber - a short, thickened fleshy part of an underground stem. New plants develop from buds that grow in the axils of the minute scale leaves of a tuber

tuft - cluster of leaves or other elongate structures

turion - a winter bud that forms in the leaf axils of certain aquatic plants. When a plant matures, turions may drop onto bottom mud and produce new plants. Hydrilla plants produce turions.

umbel - a type of inflorescence in which the flower stalks arise from a common point

undulate - having a wavy margin

unisexual - b- bearing either one sex or the other, but not both

utricle - a small, bladdery, one-seeded indeshiscent fruit

vein - an elongated conducting structure visible on leaves

vine - plant with a stem that requires support and which climbs by tendrils or other means or which trails or creeps along the ground

whorl - a- an arrangement of three or more structures at a node

wing - the lateral petal of a pea flower

zygomorphic - irregular, divisible into equal halves in only one plane