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Botanical Glossary

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In this glossary, definitions are given for the most commonly used terms for describing plants.

Aborted	an aborted organ is one that is not developed to the extent it should normally have
Adpressed	erect, pressed closed to stem or other part of plant.
Adventitious	roots springing from a stem whether aerial, underground or in water.
Aerial	developed above the soil, such as aerial stems so called in contradistinction to underground stems developed below the soil.
Alternate	attached to stem singly at different levels or nodes.
Amplexicaul	base of leaf clasping the stem
Androecium	collective name for the stamens
Annual	plant that completes its life cycle within one year, therefore living not more than one year
Anther	part of the stamen enlarged and containing the pollen, usually divided in two parts called anther-lobes
Auricles	lateral lobes at base of leaf-blade
Awn	prolongation, more or less narrow, at apex of a fruit
Biennal	plant that completes its life cycle within two year, usually produces a short stem, leaves and roots during the first season, flowers and fruits during the second season and then dies
Bract	leaf born near the flowers, usually at base of pedicel
Bulb	swollen part formed most commonly by base of stem surrounded by thick scale-leaves or leaf-bases.
Calyx	outermost envelope of flower made of sepals, usually green but sometimes looking like petals
Calyx-Tube	tube formed by united sepals
Capitulum	inflorescence of sessile flowers inserted side by side on a common receptacle formed by the enlarged apex of the flowering stem
Head-Flowers	see capitulum
Carpel	elementary female organ. In the simplest case, it is free, and not fused with the others ; it is then made up of: (i) an enlarged basal part or ovary, (ii) a more slender part above or style that finishes in (iii) a small viscous part or stigma on which pollen grains are deposited after pollination.
Cauline	on an aerial stem
Chamber	cell containing the pollen in the anther-lobes
Locule	cell containing the ovules in an ovary
Cilia	hairs in a row bordering any part of a plant
Ciliate	bearing cilia
Compound	(leaf) leaf-blade divided to midrib into separate parts called leaflets
Connate	similar organs united round the stem or together
Cordate	heart-shaped
Corm	solid underground stem shortened vertically as in the crocus
Corolla	corolla is composed of petals which are either free from one another or more or less joined together
Dialypetalous	when petals are free from one another
Dialysepalous	when sepals are free from one another
Gamopetalous	when petals are more or less joined together
Gamosepalous	when sepals are more or less joined together
Corolla-Tube	tube formed by united petals
Crenate	leaf-blade margin with rounded teeth
Deciduous	falling early in the autumn
Decumbent	when stem is prostrate but turns upwards at apex
Decurrent	when the leaf limb is prolonged down the stem
Dehiscent	opening to liberate pollen or seeds
Indehiscent	not opening to liberate seeds
Dentate	margin toothed
Serrate
Didynamous	stamens 2 long, 2 short
Dimorphic	having 2 different aspects, forms, shapes or structures
Dioecious	male and female flowers born on different plants
Entire	margin not lobed or toothed
Envelope	floral envelope is a general term for calyx or corolla
Epicalyx	supplementary sepals below ordinary sepals
Escape	see garden escape
Extrose	anthers opening and shedding pollen away from stigmas
Filament	part of stamen bearing the anther
Flower	collection of particular leaves terminating a stalk. The essential organs of the flower are the stamens and pistils. According to the authors, Gymnosperms are considered as flowering plants like Angiosperms.
Fronds	the leaves of ferns
Fruit	after fertilisation, ovary ripens into a fruit containing seeds (fertilised ovules)
Garden Escape	uncultivated plant growing from seed of a cultivated one
Glabrous	smooth; not hairy
Glandular	hair with a rounded mass, often viscid or scented at their apex
Glaucous	bluish or whitish green due to a waxy bloom on the surface
Grooved	marked by longitudinal furrows
Gynaecium	the pistil
Hastate	auricles of leaf pointing more or less horizontally
Hermaphrodite	stamens (male organs) and pistil (female organs) present in same flowers
Hispid	covered with rather stiff hairs
Hybrid	plant obtained from a seed produced in a pistil of one species which has received the pollen of another species
Inflorescence	a flowering branch bearing a single flower or a collection of flowers sometimes separated only by bracts
Introrse	anthers opening and shedding pollen towards stigmas
Involucel	collection of bracts at base of an umbellule, or partial umbel, in a compound umbel
Involucre	whorl or whorls of bracts at base of an umbellule or an umbel, or below one or several flowers
Involute	rolled towards upper surface
Irregular	flower in which a right and a left half can be distinguished, i.e. symmetrical in one plane, or, flower not exhibiting any symmetry
Keel	the two more or less united anterior petals which together resemble the keel of a boat in flowers such pea flowers
Labellum	petal resembling a lip and so differing considerably from the other petals of an Orchid
Lamina	leaf-blade
Lanceolate	about three times as long as broad, and tapering towards each end
Leaf	leaf is always born on a stem, usually has a bud or branch in its axil. It is usually made of a blade or lamina and a petiole.
Leaflets	the separate parts of a compound leaf-blade
Ligulate	Asteraceae flowers with a flattened or strap-shaped corolla
Lobes	more or less separate parts of the leaf-blade
Membranous	thin, having a consistence somewhat resembling parchment
Monoecious	male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers born on the same plant
Naturalised	plant introduced by man in a country but continues to reproduce itself
Nectary	structure secreting and exuding little drops of sweet liquid i.e. nectar, situated on petals, leaf-blade base, pistil base...
Node	part of stem to which leaf base is attached. If the leaf sheathes the stem, as in grasses, the node is at the base of the sheath.
Obtuse	apex more or less rounded
Opposite	for leaves, when they are born in pairs at the same node ; for flowers, when 2 different perianth parts are on the same radius and are not alternate
Ovary	part of a single carpel or fused carpels which encloses ovule or ovules
Ovule	small rounded or oval bodies attached to the margin of the carpel and enclosed in the ovary. After fertilisation, ovule ripens into seed.
Papilionaceous	corolla resembling a butterfly
Pappus	tuft of hairs or ring of scales born on a fruit
Pectinate	resembling a comb
Pedicel	stalk terminating in a flower, and commonly called the flower-stalk
Pedicellate	having a distinct pedicel
Peduncle	the main flower-stalk, i.e. that part of the stem which bears the pedicels
Peltate	leaf in which the stalk is attached to the under surface of the blade
Perennial	plant living more than two seasons: trees, shrubs but also herbaceous plants with well-developed underground stems
Perfect	flower having both stamens and pitil
Perfoliate	blade of leaf completely surrounds stem
Perianth	the 2 flower envelops together: calyx and corolla
Persistent	existence prolonged beyond the normal term: for example persistent leaves do not fall in the autumn
Petal	the innermost perianth envelop, usually well-coloured when pollination is made by animals and not wind
Petiole	relatively narrow part below the leaf-blade, and commonly called leaf-stalked
Petiolate	having a petiole
Pinnate	compound leaf with leaflets in rows on either side of midrib
Pistil	the part of flower formed by free or fused carpels and occupying the centre of the flower
Pistillate	flower having a pistil but not stamens
Pollen	dust-like grains formed in the anther of a stamen and which finally produce male gametes
Prickle	sharply pointed structures born irregularly on the surface of a stem or other organ
Raceme	a simple raceme is an inflorescence in which the flowers are distinctly stalked and born one above the other on a main flower-stalk or peduncle, the oldest ones being the closest to the inflorescence base. A compound inflorescence is an inflorescence of groups of flowers arranged in a raceme.
Radical	leaves born on stem at or slightly below the ground level
Receptacle	the upper part of the pedicel or peduncle on which the various parts of the flower are inserted
Revolute	rolled towards under surface
Root	one of the three primary organs of a plant (root, stem and leaves). It is distinguished from a stem in bearing neither leaves, nor scales, nor scars of fallen leaves. It is distinguished from a leaf in having neither a right nor a left side, nor an upper or a lower surface.
Rootlet	branch of a root
Rosette	leaves are in a rosette when they are number attached very closed together on the stem and spreading radially outwards. A rosette can be at a stem apex or at the ground level in acaulescent plants
Sagittate	auricles of leaf pointing downwards
Scales	leaves reduced in size and not performing usual functions; chaffy structures occurring on different parts of a plant; membranous bracts in many inforescences
Seed	ovules in the ovary ripen to form seeds when ovary ripens to form the fruit
Sepal	parts of the outermost envelope of flower, usually green but sometimes coloured
Sessile	without a stalk
Sheath	the expanded base of a leaf more or less surrounding or sheathing the stem thoughout a variable length
Simple	leaf with a blade not separated into leaflets
Sinuate	(leaf) margin bluntly and irregularly lobed
Sorus	cluster of sporangia
Spike	a simple spike is an inflorescence having all its flowers sessile and one above the other, the oldest ones being the closest to the inflorescence base. A compound spike has groups of flowers arranged in spikes
Spikelet	see Poaceae
Spine	leaf, stipule, or part of leaf modified into an elongated and pointed structure
Sporangia	small sacs enclosing spores in Ferns and allied plants
Spreading	diverging from the attachment point
Spur	tubular or horn-shaped base of some sepals and petals
Stamen	(androecium) organ forming pollen, the coloured dust which is deposited on the pistil if the ovules are to become seeds (if fertilisation happened). A stamen is genrally composed of a stalk or filament terminated by an enlarged part or anther. The anther contains the pollen and, and when ripe, opens to liberate it. The stamens are often free or detached quite to their base, and inserted to the receptacle as are sepals, petals and carpels. Often also they are united to other parts of the flower, either calyx or corolla. Flowers which have stamens but not pistil are called staminate flowers.
Standard	upper or posterior petal in a papilionaceous fllower. In Pea flower, the standard overlaps the petals to the right and left which in turn overlap the two more or less united flower petals or keel
Stem	one of the three primary organs of a plant (root, stem and leaves). It is distinguished from a root in bearing leaves or scales or scars of fallen leaves. It is distinguished from a leaf in having neither a right nor a left side, nor an upper or a lower surface.
Stigma	the more or less viscid apex of a carpel, or of a pistil when carpels are united, often born on an elongated structure or style. The stigma retains on its surface pollen transferred from the stamens
Stipules	parts of aleaf on the right and left of the base of the petiole just where the latter is attached to the stem. Many leaves have no stipules
Striate	slightly grooved longitudinally
Style	the more or less elongated structure bearing the stigma of a carpel. In some flowers, the style is very short or not developed
Tendril	elongated and sensitive parts of a stem or a leaf, responding to the stimulus of contact by twining round or attaching themselves to support, and so enabling the plant to climb
Thorn	branch modified to form a sharply pointed structure
Trimorphic	anthers and stigmas at three different levels in the flowers of the same species
Tuber	swollen part of a root or underground stem
Tubular	flowers with a tubular corolla as in the Asteraceae
Umbel	a simple umbel is an inflorescence with all flower pedicels equal in length and attached to the same level ; when present, bracts form an involucre at this level. A compound umbel is an umbel of umbels, partial umbels are also called umbellules with, when present, involucel at their base
Umbellule	partial umbel of a compound umbel
Valve	one of the parts into which fruit wall splits when mature
Veins	(of the leaf) veins are the leaf conducting tissue, the median vein is the midrib
Venation	arrangement of veins in a leaf
Whorled	(leaves) leaves are three or more born at the same node or level on the stem; also called verticillate leaves
Wild	(plant) a plant growing and reproducing itself naturally, i.e. not cultivated or planted
Wing	(flower) one of two lateral petals in papilionaceous flowers; (other plant structure) thing and flat projecting part of a plant structure