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Online Help  - Glossary

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	You can click on the letter below to go directly to the starting letter of the term you are looking for in the glossary.
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A     Back to top

	Achene	A small dry single-seeded fruit.
	Actinomorphic	Radially symmetrical, symmetrical about more than one plane, petals and sepals, all nearly equal in shape and size.
	Acute	Sharply pointed.
	Alternate	Of leaves or flowers, growing singly on alternate sides of the stem.
	Annual	A plant that completes it life cycle in one year.
	Anther	Pollen-bearing sack at the outer end of a stamen.
	Antheridiophore	Branch of a liverwort, carrying the male fruiting body
	Antrorse	Directed forwards or upwards, applied to hairs or prickles.
	Appressed	Pressed closely, as hairs flattened against a leaf or stem.
	Arachnoid	Like a cobweb, with a tangle of fine white hairs.
	Archegoniophore	Branch of a liverwort, carrying the female fruiting body
	Aril	A fleshy expansion of the stalk attaching a seed to the seed pod.
	Awn	A fine bristle-like appendage.
	Axil	The angle between a leaf stalk and the stem above the leaf.

B     Back to top

	Barb	A lateral backward pointing projection.
	Basal	Of leaves, growing only at the base of the stem, usually flat on the ground.
	Beak	A slender projection above the ovary. In daisy flowers a slender projection of the ovary, between the achene and the pappus.
	Bipinnate	Twice pinnate. Each leaflet of the pinnate leaf is itself pinnate.
	Bract	A modified leaf, close to a flower, differing from normal leaves in shape, size or colour.
	Bracteole	A small bract, borne in ones or twos on a flower stalk.

C     Back to top

	Caducous	Falling off early.
	Calli	Plural of Callus.
	Callus	A protruding mass of tissue.
	Calyx	The outer whorl of floral leaves, usually green. The sepals of one flower, collectively.
	Campanulate	Bell-shaped.
	Carpel	A female organ at the centre of a flower, consisting of an ovary, a style and a stigma.
	Cataphyll	An enlarged leaf-sheath, normally with the lamina reduced to a small point.
	Catkin	A spike of unisexual flowers, without conspicuous perianth.
	Cauline	Borne on an aerial stem, below the inflorescence.
	Ciliate	With hairs confined to the margins, like eyelashes.
	Cladode	A branch or portion of a stem that resembles and functions as a leaf.
	Claw	A narrow stalk-like section at the base of a petal or sepal.
	Column	In orchids, a structure above the Ovary, combining the Stigma and Stamens.
	Cordate	Heart-shaped, with the notch closest to the stem.
	Corolla	The inner whorl of floral leaves, often soft and brightly coloured. The petals of one flower, collectively.
	Corona	A ring of tissue separating the petals from the stamens.
	Corymb	An inflorescence in which all the flowers are at the same level, even though their stalks arise at different levels.
	Culm	An aerial stem, bearing the inflorescence (in grasses, sedges and rushes).
	Cyme	An inflorescence in which the main axis and all side branches end in a flower.

D     Back to top

	Decurrent	Of gills of fungi, running down the stem.
	Deflexed	Bent downwards.
	Digitate	Branching from a common point, like fingers of a hand.
	Dioecious	Having male and female flowers developing on separate plants.
	Discrete	Separate, individually distinct.
	Dorsal	The back.
	Drupe	A succulent fruit formed from one carpel, containing a single seed.
	Drupelet	One drupe of a cluster of drupes as in a blackberry Rubus discolor.

E     Back to top

	Elytra	The fore wings of a beetle, hardened and modified to form a protective case for the hind wings.
	Entire	Having a smooth margin, not lobed, divided or toothed.
	Epicalyx	A ring of bracts attached to or immediately below the calyx.
	Epiphyte	A plant growing on another plant, but not deriving any nourishment from it.
	Epiphytic	Adjectival form of epiphyte.
	Exserted	Projecting beyond the surrounding objects.

F     Back to top

	Filament	The stalk of a stamen.
	Floret	A small flower, especially when part of a large compact inflorescence. A grass flower, consisting of two bracts (lemma and palea), surrounding three stamens and the ovary.
	Free	Gills of a fungus, which are not joined to the stem.
	Frond	The leaf of a fern.
	Furrowed	With grooves running along it.

G     Back to top

	Galea	A group of perianth segments forming a helmet-shaped hood.
	Glabrous	Free of hairs, scales or bristles.
	Gland	A secreting structure on the surface of a plant, often a smooth shining bead-like outgrowth.
	Glaucous	Blue-green in colour, with a whitish bloom.
	Glume	The empty bracts at the base of a grass spikelet.

H     Back to top

	Hastate	Shaped like a spear-head.
	Herb	A plant which does not develop a woody stem.
	Hirsute	Bearing coarse, stiffish, hairs.
	Hispid	Bristly.

I     Back to top

	Inferior	Of an ovary, below the point of attachment of the petals and sepals.
	Inflorescence	The group or arrangement of flowers on a plant.
	Involucre	A whorl or several whorls of bracts surrounding an inflorescence, as those surrounding a daisy flower-head.

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K     Back to top

Keel

A ridged back of a leaf, like the keel of a boat.

L     Back to top

	Labellum	A modified petal, forming the lip of an orchid flower.
	Lamina	The blade of a leaf, petal or fern frond.
	Lanceolate	Of a leaf, lance-like. About 4 times as long as broad. Widest in the lower half and tapering to the tip.
	Leaflet	The ultimate divisions of a compound leaf.
	Lemma	The outer bract of a grass floret.
	Ligulate	Of a daisy-flower floret, having a ligule.
	Ligule	The extended strap-like corolla of some daisy flowers, having the appearance of a petal. A membranous or hairy outgrowth at the junction between blade and sheath in a grass leaf.
	Linear	Very narrow in relation to its length, with the sides almost parallel.

M     Back to top

	Mantle	A fleshy or membranous cover over the front part of the body in slugs and snails.
	Mealy	Covered with flour-like powder.
	Mericarp	One segment of a fruit that splits into separate single-seeded parts.
	Monoecious	Having separate male and female flowers, developing on the same plant.
	Mucronate	Terminating in a short sharp point.

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Node

The point on a stem where leaves of branches arise.

O     Back to top

	Obconical	Shaped like an inverted cone, that is attached at its narrow end.
	Obovate	Of a leaf, egg-shaped and attached at the narrower end.
	Obtuse	Blunt or rounded.
	Ochrea	A sheath, formed from the stipules, at a leaf node.
	Opposite	Leaves or flowers borne at the same level, but at opposite sides of the stem.
	Ovary	The basal part of a carpel, enclosing the developing seed.
	Ovate	Of a leaf, egg-shaped and attached at the broader end.

P     Back to top

	Palea	The inner bract of a grass floret.
	Palmate	Divided into several leaflets joined at a single point.
	Panicle	A compound raceme. Each branch of the raceme, being itself a raceme.
	Papilla	A small elongated protuberance on the surface of an organ.
	Pappus	A tuft or ring of hairs or scales attached above the ovary on some daisy flowers.
	Parasite	An plant living on another plant and deriving nourishment from it.
	Pedicel	The stalk of a flower.
	Peduncle	The stalk of an inflorescence.
	Pedunculate	Of an inflorescence, having a peduncle.
	Pendulous	Hanging towards the ground.
	Perennial	A plant that lives for several years.
	Perianth	The combined calyx and corolla of a flower.
	Petal	A member of the inner whorl of floral leaves. Usually soft and coloured and very different from normal leaves. Absent or greatly reduced in size in some species.
	Petiolate	Of a leaf, having a petiole.
	Petiole	The stalk of a leaf.
	Phyllode	Leaf stalk flattened to serve as a leaf.
	Pinna	Leaflet of a divided leaf, or of a larger pinna.
	Pinnate	A compound leaf with leaflets arranged each side of a common petiole.
	Pinnatisect	Of a leaf, having the lamina divided into pinnate lobes, the gaps between the lobes cutting through almost to the mid-rib.
	Pinnule	Any of the ultimate leaflets of a bipinnate leaf.
	Plumose	Feather-like, with a central axis, with fine hairs arising from it.
	Pollinia	Pollen grains cohering into a single body in orchids.
	Prostrate	Lying flat on the ground. .
	Pubescent	Downy. Covered with short soft hairs.
	Pungent	Ending in a stiff sharp point.

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R     Back to top

	Raceme	An inflorescence in which stalked flowers are borne in succession along an axis.
	Rachis	The central stalk of a divided leaf, particularly applied to ferns.
	Recurved	With the margins curved backwards from the upper surface.
	Reflexed	Bent sharply backwards (usually downwards).
	Reticulate	Forming a network.
	Retrorse	Directed backwards or downwards, applied to hairs or prickles.
	Revolute	Rolled backward from the margins to the undersurface.
	Rhizome	An underground stem of a fern, but also used for creeping stems, below or just above the ground.

S     Back to top

	Saprophyte	Plant deriving its nourishment from decaying vegetable matter and usually lacking chlorophyll.
	Scabrous	Rough to the touch, usually as a result of numerous short stiff bristles.
	Scape	The stem-like flowering stalk of a plant with basal leaves.
	Scarious	Dry and more or less membranous.
	Schlerophyll	A plant with hard stiff leaves.
	Sepal	One of the outer segments of a flower, usually green.
	Serrate	Toothed, with teeth pointing forward.
	Sessile	Without a stalk.
	Sinus	A notch in the margin or between two lobes.
	Sori	Plural of sorus.
	Sorus	A compact cluster of spore-bearing sporangia.
	Spathe	A large bract sheathing an inflorescence.
	Spathulate	Spoon-shaped, broad near the tip, narrowing towards the base.
	Spike	An inflorescence, with a single main axis bearing flowers or spikelets without stalks.
	Spikelet	A small spike, in grasses, the basic unit of the inflorescence consisting of two basal glumes and one to several florets.
	Sporangia	.
	Sporangium	A structure containing spores (on ferns).
	Stamen	The male part of a flower, consisting of a stalk (filament) and pollen-bearing portion (anther).
	Staminode	A sterile stamen, usually consisting of a filament, without an anther.
	Stellate	Star-shaped.
	Stigma	The pollen-collecting part of the female flower.
	Stipe	The stalk of a fern frond.
	Stipule	Small, usually leaf-like appendage at the base of a petiole.
	Stolon	A slender, prostrate or trailing stem, bearing roots and sometimes erect shoots at its nodes.
	Stoloniferous	Bearing stolons.
	Striate	Of fungal caps, having fine radiating lines, especially around the edge.
	Style	The elongated part of a carpel between the ovary and the stigma.
	Superior	Of an ovary, above the point of attachment of the petals and sepals, or above the base of a floral tube.
	Synangium	A fused aggregate of sporangia.
	Syncarp	A multiple fruit consisting of several small fruit united together.

T     Back to top

	Tepal	Floral leaf, sepal or petal, usually used when all floral leaves are similar in appearance.
	Terete	Cylindrical, circular in cross-section.
	Terminal	At the outermost end.
	Ternate	Arranged into groups of three. Of leaves, having three leaflets.
	Terrestrial	Growing on the ground.
	Tibia	The larger bone from the knee to the ankle in the hind legs.
	Tomentose	Densely covered with short woolly hairs.
	Trifoliate	Of a leaf, divided into three leaflets.
	Tripinnate	Three times pinnate, each leaflet of a bi-pinnate leaf is again divided into pinnae.
	Truncate	Cut off squarely.
	Tubercle	Any small rounded protuberance on the skin.
	Tympanum	The ear-drum, often clearly visible in frogs.

U     Back to top

	Umbel	An inflorescence, in which all the flower stalks arise together at the top of the peduncle and are all about the same length.
	Universal veil	The outer membrane that initially completely encloses the emerging fungus.
	Utricle	In sedges, the outer layer of a fruit, loosely enclosing the seed.

V     Back to top

	Valve	A section of an organ such as a seed capsule, that splits open.
	Volva	A cup like structure at the base of the stem of some fungi, being the remains of the universal veil.

W     Back to top

Whorl

A ring of organs (eg leaves), borne at the same level on the axis.

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Y     Back to top

Z     Back to top

Zygomorphic

Symmetrical about one plane only, the vertical, petals and sepals, varying in shape and size.

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