Glossary
Achene - a small dry fruit.
Acuminate - tapering to a point, as in Jerusalem artichoke. (Asteraceae)
Acute - sharply pointed but not drawn out, as in spider lily. (Liliaceae)
Adventitious - applied to roots which arise from another part of the plant, usually the stem.
Alternate - a very common branching pattern where leaves or branches come off the stem singly, not in opposite pairs or whorls, as in all oak trees (Fagaceae)
Annual - a plant which completes its life cycle within a year.
Anther - the part of the stamen which contains the pollen.
Axil - the angle between the axis (stem or branch) and the part arising from it (leaf or bract).
Axillary - growing in an axil.
Basal - located at the base of the plant or of an organ of the plant.
Biennial - a plant that completes its full life-cycle in two years.
Bract - a modified leaf associated with the flowering part of the plant. Bracts may be borne under individual flowers or below a group of flowers, as in flowering spurge.
Calyx - the outer series of leaf-like segments (sepals) of the flower which is usually green in color; it may be large and colorful, present or absent. It encloses the flower while it is still a bud, as in fistulose goat’s beard. (Asteraceae)
Campanulate - bell-shaped, as in Virginia bluebells. (Boraginaceae)
Ciliate - covered or fringed with hairs, as in black-eyed Susans. (Asteraceae)
Cordate - heart-shaped, as in common blue violet leaves. (Violaceae)
Cyme - a branched inflorescence in which the side branches grow more strongly than the main stem.
Deciduous - falling off or shedding at a specific season or stage of growth.
Deltoid - broadly triangular.
Entire - leaf edges without toothing; a smooth margin.
Exserted - protruded beyond.
Filament - the stalk of an anther.
Filiform - threadlike.
Glabrous - smooth, without any hairs, as in valerian. (Valerianaceae)
Glaucous - covered in thin waxy layer, as in Eggert’s sunflower. (Asteraceae)
Habit - general appearance of the plant.
Hirsute - hairy, with long distinct hairs, as in hairy sunflower. (Asteraceae)
Inflorescence - a special branch-system which bears flowers; a group of flowers.
Internode - portion of the stem between two nodes.
Involucre - the collective term for a ring of bracts that surround one to many flowers. This term is frequently applied to members of the Asteraceae, as in the pointed green bracts below the purple flowers of Canada thistle.
Laciniate - cut into narrow lobes, as in wood poppy. (Papaveraceae)
Lanceolate - lance-shaped, tapering from a broad base to the apex, as in yucca. (Liliaceae)
Linear - narrow with nearly parallel sides, as in early spiderwort. (Commelinaceae)
Node - the part of the stem that gives rise to the leaf and bud.
Obtuse - with a blunt or rounded tip.
Opposite - a branching pattern where leaves or branches come off the stem in pairs, across from each other, as in all maples (Aceraceae).
Ovary - the part of the pistil which contains the ovules (immature fruit).
Palmate - with veins or leaflets coming from a central point, resembling fingers from a palm, as in cut-leaf toothwort. (Brassicaceae)
Panicle - a compound inflorescence (group of flowers) in which the main axis bears lateral groups, as in panicled hawkweed. (Asteraceae)
Pedicel - the stalk of the flower.
Perennial - a plant that continues its life cycle for more than two years.
Perfoliate - stemless (sessile) leaves which are fused to enclose the stem, as in boneset (Asteraceae)
Perianth - the two outer whorls of the Angiosperm flower; commonly used when the sepals and the petals are not readily distinguishable (as in monocotyledons, e.g. yellow stargrass in the Amaryllidaceae)
Petiole - the leaf stalk.
Pinnate - with veins or leaflets coming from a central axis, as in partridge pea. (Fabaceae)
Pinnatifid - a pinnately parted leaf, dividing almost to the midrib, as in prairie dock. (Asteraceae)
Pistil - the female portion of a flower, including ovary, style, and stigma.
Procumbent - trailing on the ground without rooting, as in round-leaf tick-trefoil. (Fabaceae)
Prostate - flat on the ground.
Pubescent - covered with short soft hairs, as in common goldenrod. (Asteraceae)
Raceme - an inflorescence with a single axis bearing stemmed flowers, as in smooth rock cress. (Brassicaceae)
Reflexed - abruptly bent backwards, as in the petals of yellow trout lily. (Liliaceae)
Rhizome - a prostrate or underground stem which generally grows horizontally.
Rosette - a round cluster of leaves on the ground, formed before a stem shoots up, as in American columbo. (Gentianaceae)
Sepal - a petal-like structure, a part of the calyx, that is usually green. Sepals sit beneath the petals, as in tulip poplar flowers (Magnoliaceae.)
Serrated - with teeth on the margin.
Sessile - without a stalk, as in the leaves of upland boneset (Asteraceae) or the flower of sessile trillium. (Liliaceae)
Simple - unbranched.
Spike - an inflorescence with sessile (unstemmed) flowers, as in dense blazing star.
Stamen - the pollen-bearing male element of the flower, consisting of filament and anther.
Stigma - the terminal part of the pistil receptive to pollen.
Stipule - the small leaf-like appendages at the axils.
Style - the part of the pistil which emerges from the petals, between the stigma and ovary.
Umbel - an inflorescence of stemmed flowers arising from a central point, as in yellow pimpernel (Apiaceae)
Umbellate - a leafing pattern where the stem attaches to the center, not the edge, of the leaf, as in mayapple (Berberidaceae)
Villose or villous - covered with long, fine, soft hairs.
Whorl - a circle of three or more leaves emerging at a node, as in hollow Joe-pye weed. (Asteraceae)
Acuminate - tapering to a point, as in Jerusalem artichoke. (Asteraceae)
Acute - sharply pointed but not drawn out, as in spider lily. (Liliaceae)
Adventitious - applied to roots which arise from another part of the plant, usually the stem.
Alternate - a very common branching pattern where leaves or branches come off the stem singly, not in opposite pairs or whorls, as in all oak trees (Fagaceae)
Annual - a plant which completes its life cycle within a year.
Anther - the part of the stamen which contains the pollen.
Axil - the angle between the axis (stem or branch) and the part arising from it (leaf or bract).
Axillary - growing in an axil.
Basal - located at the base of the plant or of an organ of the plant.
Biennial - a plant that completes its full life-cycle in two years.
Bract - a modified leaf associated with the flowering part of the plant. Bracts may be borne under individual flowers or below a group of flowers, as in flowering spurge.
Calyx - the outer series of leaf-like segments (sepals) of the flower which is usually green in color; it may be large and colorful, present or absent. It encloses the flower while it is still a bud, as in fistulose goat’s beard. (Asteraceae)
Campanulate - bell-shaped, as in Virginia bluebells. (Boraginaceae)
Ciliate - covered or fringed with hairs, as in black-eyed Susans. (Asteraceae)
Cordate - heart-shaped, as in common blue violet leaves. (Violaceae)
Cyme - a branched inflorescence in which the side branches grow more strongly than the main stem.
Deciduous - falling off or shedding at a specific season or stage of growth.
Deltoid - broadly triangular.
Entire - leaf edges without toothing; a smooth margin.
Exserted - protruded beyond.
Filament - the stalk of an anther.
Filiform - threadlike.
Glabrous - smooth, without any hairs, as in valerian. (Valerianaceae)
Glaucous - covered in thin waxy layer, as in Eggert’s sunflower. (Asteraceae)
Habit - general appearance of the plant.
Hirsute - hairy, with long distinct hairs, as in hairy sunflower. (Asteraceae)
Inflorescence - a special branch-system which bears flowers; a group of flowers.
Internode - portion of the stem between two nodes.
Involucre - the collective term for a ring of bracts that surround one to many flowers. This term is frequently applied to members of the Asteraceae, as in the pointed green bracts below the purple flowers of Canada thistle.
Laciniate - cut into narrow lobes, as in wood poppy. (Papaveraceae)
Lanceolate - lance-shaped, tapering from a broad base to the apex, as in yucca. (Liliaceae)
Linear - narrow with nearly parallel sides, as in early spiderwort. (Commelinaceae)
Node - the part of the stem that gives rise to the leaf and bud.
Obtuse - with a blunt or rounded tip.
Opposite - a branching pattern where leaves or branches come off the stem in pairs, across from each other, as in all maples (Aceraceae).
Ovary - the part of the pistil which contains the ovules (immature fruit).
Palmate - with veins or leaflets coming from a central point, resembling fingers from a palm, as in cut-leaf toothwort. (Brassicaceae)
Panicle - a compound inflorescence (group of flowers) in which the main axis bears lateral groups, as in panicled hawkweed. (Asteraceae)
Pedicel - the stalk of the flower.
Perennial - a plant that continues its life cycle for more than two years.
Perfoliate - stemless (sessile) leaves which are fused to enclose the stem, as in boneset (Asteraceae)
Perianth - the two outer whorls of the Angiosperm flower; commonly used when the sepals and the petals are not readily distinguishable (as in monocotyledons, e.g. yellow stargrass in the Amaryllidaceae)
Petiole - the leaf stalk.
Pinnate - with veins or leaflets coming from a central axis, as in partridge pea. (Fabaceae)
Pinnatifid - a pinnately parted leaf, dividing almost to the midrib, as in prairie dock. (Asteraceae)
Pistil - the female portion of a flower, including ovary, style, and stigma.
Procumbent - trailing on the ground without rooting, as in round-leaf tick-trefoil. (Fabaceae)
Prostate - flat on the ground.
Pubescent - covered with short soft hairs, as in common goldenrod. (Asteraceae)
Raceme - an inflorescence with a single axis bearing stemmed flowers, as in smooth rock cress. (Brassicaceae)
Reflexed - abruptly bent backwards, as in the petals of yellow trout lily. (Liliaceae)
Rhizome - a prostrate or underground stem which generally grows horizontally.
Rosette - a round cluster of leaves on the ground, formed before a stem shoots up, as in American columbo. (Gentianaceae)
Sepal - a petal-like structure, a part of the calyx, that is usually green. Sepals sit beneath the petals, as in tulip poplar flowers (Magnoliaceae.)
Serrated - with teeth on the margin.
Sessile - without a stalk, as in the leaves of upland boneset (Asteraceae) or the flower of sessile trillium. (Liliaceae)
Simple - unbranched.
Spike - an inflorescence with sessile (unstemmed) flowers, as in dense blazing star.
Stamen - the pollen-bearing male element of the flower, consisting of filament and anther.
Stigma - the terminal part of the pistil receptive to pollen.
Stipule - the small leaf-like appendages at the axils.
Style - the part of the pistil which emerges from the petals, between the stigma and ovary.
Umbel - an inflorescence of stemmed flowers arising from a central point, as in yellow pimpernel (Apiaceae)
Umbellate - a leafing pattern where the stem attaches to the center, not the edge, of the leaf, as in mayapple (Berberidaceae)
Villose or villous - covered with long, fine, soft hairs.
Whorl - a circle of three or more leaves emerging at a node, as in hollow Joe-pye weed. (Asteraceae)